Engraved History - Vernacular Mimicry
The city of Rotterdam became a centre for experimental architecture after the city’s reconstruction due to the immense damages caused by the 1940s bombardment. Although the entire city can not be characterised by a particular building style, there are many parts that resemble the vernacular architecture of Rotterdam.
Delfshaven is one of the few parts of the old city that remained intact after the war. Rotterdam’s development threatens Delfshaven’s historic position in the city, and since this might be inevitable, applying the contextual architecture principles to new buildings is a good solution in this historic context. In an attempt to integrate traditional and modern architecture, I have conducted this case study by designing a façade for a hypothetical commercial building located in Delfshaven. A façade that meets the requirements of a contemporary commercial building which can also imitate the surrounding elements of the neighbourhood.
The façade is based on a frequently used system, and it is composed of metal panels with small openings through which the interior light spills out. Both the panels and the openings follow the classic stretcher bond pattern highlighting the bricks, which are the most commonly used façade material in the area. Another key feature is that the small openings are grouped together based on the Voronoi diagram, reflecting the organic development of the surrounding architecture. Also, the massing of the building has been designed by the context, having rounded corners due to its location at the crossroad.
