Inward. The silence is within | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization

Site Context

The thesis title, “Inward,” alludes to two different internal directions: 1. the mental retreat that occurs within oneself, and 2. the architectural design of interior spaces, which suggests a community-based healing area within the cityscape. Rotterdam is an example of a city with excellent, lively areas, but also with few places to retreat.

The design, which was zoomed in and out, stated a multi-scale approach: 1. the transformation of the Lijnbaan Ensemble into a peaceful area; 2. the whisper route, which connects the existing peaceful areas in Rotterdam Noord; and 3. a strategy to unite vibrance and silence.

Design Process

Urban escapes in the city centre: The city centre’s urban escapes are intended to be serene havens inside a lively sound island. In doing so, the current expedition street substructure that links the (missing) serene soundscapes is worked with. The Lijnbaan Ensemble, located between the Lijnbaan and the Schouwburgplein, provides an illustration of how the vision might be carried out.

The whisper routes of Noord: The key elements of Noord’s whisper routes are gates, alleys, and passages, which aid in the sound transition. These design elements form a route, not from A to B, but by emphasising hidden areas in a subtle way.

In order to create an urban symphony, there is a need for balance between vibrance and silence. The following design approaches are implemented in the existing urban fabric to facilitate a calm environment.

1- Add spaces to retreat: Within the current urban framework, create new, serene soundscapes, and subtly draw attention to already-existing peaceful, hidden areas.

2- Create smooth sound transitions: By using access and materialisation, highlight or lessen the contrast between serene and vibrant areas.

3- Re-adjust perception: To enhance the mental state and emphasise calmness, use vegetation, expectation, and variety in sounds.

Final Outcome

The research translates psychological theory into design interventions, devises a plan to find harmony between contrasts in Rotterdam’s auditory landscape, and develops the area around Rotterdam Central Station as a new soundscape that reacts specifically to the introduction of silence.

The calm alternative sound network is a network in itself, but continuously interacts with its louder, surrounding structure. As a result, this approach focuses on constructing a calm structure next to the current vibrant structure, rather than changing the vibrance into a tranquil atmosphere.

In the current urban layout, expedition streets and courtyards serve as the inward-facing typology. Through a series of epiphanies, the whisper route in Rotterdam Noord connects hidden spaces by focusing on the shift from loud to calm spaces.

The Lijnbaan Ensemble has been redesigned as a serene haven in the heart of Rotterdam. Situated in a louder setting, the court evokes the feeling of a deserted island and provides a peaceful haven. Combined, they give rise to a serene structure that is thirty-two times larger than Rotterdam Central Station.

This has been interpreted as a pattern set, which is a collection of design interventions that offer tools for communicating through sound perception and designing with the balance between vibrance and quiet. This language connects the theory of psychology to possible interventions in urban design.

Design elements: The new calm soundscape is built up by a set of sound elements that create two categories: A. the transition from the louder environment to the ensemble and B. the transition between several spaces to retreat within the ensemble. Below, some of the elements that are part of the design, are shown.

Conclusion: “Inward” offers a fresh perspective on how sound is experienced in cities and how it affects people’s mental well-being. The project succeeds in its objective by conducting in-depth research and developing a collection of patterns and design elements that assist the urban designer in creating designs that take sound perception into account.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]