KUNST EN VORMGEVING Noord-Holland (‘Art
and Design Noord-Holland’, abbreviated as K&VNH), in association
with the province of Noord-Holland, is staging a competition to generate
ideas about culture-based planning. The competition is aimed at individuals
who can take on cultural commissions (such as artists, designers and landscape
architects as well as students in these fields). The competition concerns
the Geestmerambacht recreation area to the north of Alkmaar, for which
a large-scale redevelopment and expansion scheme is being prepared. The
competition focuses on the 'culture of recreation', and the most important
issue addressed is 'how the current culture of recreation can influence
the area’s redevelopment’.
The competition is being staged in the run-up
to the 'Planning with Imagination' symposium on culture-based planning,
which takes place on June 22, 2005, in Haarlem. The symposium includes
presentations by the prize nominees and concludes with the award ceremony.
The event is aimed at (potential) clients (such as public officials, area
administrators, housing associations, and property developers) and individuals
who can carry out cultural commissions (such as artists, designers, and
landscape architects). The event offers wonderful opportunities for encounter
and discussion between artists and clients.
A major aim of the competition is to highlight the potential of culture-based
planning among both clients and those who work on commissions. K&VNH
and the province of Noord-Holland play a pivotal role in mediating between
these parties in future commissions.
The RECREATION TODAY competition focuses on the culture of recreation.
Recreation is influenced by trends. What was popular a year ago is not
even worth a glance today. The construction of a recreation area, however,
is subject to dynamics of a different kind. Construction or redevelopment
plans take many years to prepare, and as such they poorly suited to respond
to current needs. In the end, however, the area will have to cater for
those recreation needs. The competition does not call for a fully elaborated
vision on current recreation and proposals for the layout of the area.
Instead, the issue at stake in culture-based planning is how to arrive
at such a vision. In other words, design either a method of approach or
a process by which current phenomena related to the culture of recreation
are rendered visible and help shape the redevelopment of Geestmerambacht.
The competition is aimed not only at artists but also at landscape architects,
urban designers, planners, heritage managers, historical and social geographers,
and also students in these fields).
A jury of experts – made up of Ernst van der Kleij (Province of
Noord-Holland, conservation policy), Lilian Roosenboom (artist), Q.S.
Serafijn (artist), Hans Venhuizen (jury chairman) and Durk de Vries (Grontmij,
designer of Geestmerambacht) – will assess the submissions in the
first round. The nominees will then be asked to present their proposals
during the symposium. The votes of the jury and the public will eventually
determine the winning proposal, which will be rewarded with €1000.
The prize will be presented at the end of the symposium.