Jim de ValkSwifterbant cemeteryInteraction between death and daily life

Amsterdam Academy of ArchitectureGraduation Projects 2014-2015Architecture

Kampweg 280625515264atelier@jimdevalk.nlwww.jimdevalk.nl

Architecture

IntroductionI live in a village without a cemetery. Swifterbant is located within the Dutch municipality of Dronten in Oostelijk Flevoland. Although a cemetery was deemed necessary within the borders of the village when Swifterbant was established, this was never realised. We are a community without a place for the dead; a place to commemorate and a place that reflects the history of a community. Swifterbant is a village in which you can live, but cannot be dead. The contrast with my country of birth, Tanzania, could not be greater. As a child, I grew up next to a cemetery; a cemetery that formed part of daily routes between destinations. A place where death and life were interwoven with each other. A place where the society lives on, even after death.

Death and public spaceThe underlying idea of the graduation project is that having their own cemetery will strengthen the community spirit of the inhabitants of Swifterbant.

In death, the individual passes into the collective, the personal into the collective memory. This was strongly felt in the time that the dead were still buried within the city walls. The displacement of the dead to the periphery reinforces the taboo which shrouds death. Nature cemeteries and the scattering of ashes in nature are inclinations whereby the dead completely disappear from the social space. In direct contrast to this is the inclination to once again allow the cemetery to form part of the public space and to let burials be part of daily life again. A community without a place for the dead is deprived of a public space which completes the final phase of the lifespan of a society.

Definition of the problemAs a preliminary investigation, a number of cemeteries were analysed in terms of the commemoration of the deceased in relation to the public space. Design themes were distilled from the analysis in order to further specify the design assignment. The chosen location is a public park in the centre of the village. How can a cemetery be integrated in a public space? What does that mean for the quality of space and which interactions are desirable and which are undesirable? In addition to the cemetery, other programme components are also necessary. Such as an auditorium, a reception room and a public space. To what extent are these functions present in the village and what is the spatial and social relationship with the cemetery?

AssignmentThe location, De Greente park, was a crucial inspiration for the original plan for Swifterbant and is still the heart of the village. The departure point for the design was to preserve the existing green structure as much as possible and to situate the buildings as objects therein similar to a sculpture garden. In order to prevent fragmentation of the greenery, the pavilions must be as compact as possible. The pavilions are architectural family of each other in terms of shape, material and construction, analogous in terms of tectonics, but different in terms of atmosphere. The design generates quiet places of reflection in the park, as a result of which an interaction arises between death and daily life.

Graduation date19 11 2014

Commission membersChris Scheen (mentor) Bart BrandsGianni Cito

Additional members for the examinationJan-Richard KikkertMariette Adriaanssen

Jim de ValkSwifterbant cemeteryInteraction between death and daily life

Jim de Valk

Architecture

Courtyard of the public space

Section of public space

Map of de Greente park 1. Square 2. Auditorium 3. Village café 4. Public space 5. Burial chamber 6. Skate park 7. Playground

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

7

Jim de Valk

Entrance

Section of auditorium and village café on the square

Auditorium and village café on the square

Architecture

Auditorium

Funeral procession proceeds from the auditorium to the burial chamber

Jim de Valk

Burial chamber

Burial chamber

Amsterdam Academy of Architecture

Architects, urbanists and landscape architects learn the profession at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture through an intensive combination of work and study. They work in small, partly interdisciplinary groups and are supervised by a select group of practising fellow professionals. There is a wide range of options within the programme so that students can put together their own trajectory and specialisation.With the inclusion of the course in Urbanism in 1957 and Landscape Architecture in 1972, the Academy is the only architecture school in the Netherlands to bring together the three spatial design disciplines under one roof. Some 350 guest tutors are involved in teaching every year. Each of them is a practising designer or a specific expert in his or her particular subject. The three heads of department also have design practices of their own in addition to their work for the Academy. This structure yields an enormous dynamism and energy and ensures that the courses remain closely linked to the current state of the discipline. The courses consist of projects, exercises and lectures. First-year and second-year students also engage in morphological studies. Students work on their own or in small groups. The design

projects form the backbone of the syllabus. On the basis of a specific design assignment, students develop knowledge, insight and skills. The exercises are focused on training in those skills that are essential for recognising and solving design problems, such as analytical techniques, knowledge of the repertoire, the use of materials, text analysis, and writing. Many of the exercises are linked to the design projects. The morphological studies concentrate on the making of spatial objects, with the emphasis on creative process and implementation. Students experiment with materials and media forms and gain experience in converting an idea into a creation. During the periods between the terms there are workshops, study trips in the Netherlands and abroad, and other activities. This is also the preferred moment for international exchange projects. The Academy regularly invites foreign students for the workshops and recruits wellknown designers from the Netherlands and further afield as tutors. Graduates from the Academy of Architecture are entitled to the following titles: Architect, Master of Science; Urbanist, Master of Science and Landscape Architect, Master of Science.