The Flood
Adriaan Geuz
The Flood is a metaphor. It is the metaphor for the Netherlands as phenomenon: for the culture, for the landscape and for the architectural and planning traditions.
For centuries, water in the Netherlands has been tamed in a manner that improves the land and makes it more attractive. However, over recent decades it has sometimes seemed as if the Dutch were shaking themselves free of that tradition. In the 1970s, a generation of professionals emerged that seemed to call an abrupt end to centuries of land reclamation and the ambition of nation-wide planning. Through their actions, the impoldering of the Markerwaard expanse of water was abandoned.
Luckily those baby boomers are approaching retirement age (albeit early). That is a good thing, now that water once again gives us reason to take our shovels in hand. That tradition once again stands us in good stead, though it might seem to belong to the distant past, but when it comes to the crunch it will demonstrate that it is still sturdily anchored in the collective memory.
The second International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam wants to make that tradition visible again and gauge its usefulness for the work that lies ahead. The Biennale wants to demonstrate how the design acuity of architects, urban planners and landscape architects coupled with skills of hydraulic engineers can be used to tackle the interventions that water exacts without it being a burden, but sooner a unique opportunity to realize new landscapes, new cities and new buildings.
To start with, the Biennale presents the history of land reclamation in two exhibitions and a book. The book and exhibition about polders were preceded by systematic research into the 3,000 polders in the Netherlands.
Instructive and impressive examples of land creation for the expansion of cities can be seen in the "Three Bays" exhibition. Two of these three bays are found in other parts of the world; useful and valuable experiences with construction that is adapted to water are not, of course, exclusive to the Netherlands.
Though the title might lead one to suspect otherwise, the exhibition about the "Water Cities" of the Netherlands also looks beyond the country’s horizons. It shows how different kinds of water city have been created over the centuries, and in certain periods–the 18th and 19th centuries, for example–important water cities were developed in other countries. This section of the program does not take a uniquely historical perspective, but also presents plans for new water cities. That is exactly what the Biennale is aiming for: directly linking the tradition of the Dutch water city with the challenges of the future.
There is a special relationship between land and water all over the world at places where recreational coastal metropolises have been established. In the "Mare Nostrum" exhibition, guest curators and designers from various countries demonstrate the significance–and strengths–that this wholesale colonization of coastal areas can have. Despite the great diversity, all those designers are faced with a similar task: reconciling the tremendous dynamic of seaside tourism with the cultural and landscape-related qualities specific to the locale.>
The international orientation of the Biennale makes it possible to present the task of creating new cities and landscapes that are geared to a future with water to designers, many of whom come from outside the Netherlands. For example, an international masterclass led by the American architect Greg Lynn will address the development of a ‘flood-proof house.’ The plans for the "New Water Cities" have also largely been devised by non-Dutch designers. In all their diversity, these designers have one thing in common: they are not encumbered by the magnetic influence of Dutch planning practice.
This series of exhibitions, symposiums and books is but one of the Biennale’s mainstays. After all, the Dutch tradition is not only founded on devising plans, but also–and chiefly–on their execution. Therefore there is also a trade fair and conference where building contractors and property developers, municipal authorities and water boards can find inspiration.
The name International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam is already an indication: the Biennale is as international as it is connected with Rotterdam. For all the inhabitants of Rotterdam there is therefore a special ‘Rotterdam Day’: the ‘Rotterdam Sunday’ of the architecture Biennale.
It is no secret that the second International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam is a rallying cry. The exhibitions and conferences offer the opportunity to draw conclusions in the line of the Dutch tradition: water has always presented the Netherlands with challenges, and the Netherlands has always managed to turn them to its advantage.
