Lecture ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles] in cooperation with TOPOS

21 November 2012

On Wednesday 21 November, TOPOS Architecture Centre Maastricht and NAiM/Bureau Europa organized a lecture by studio ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles] in the TOPOS lecture series ‘Raakvlakken: Ver Weg’.

In 2001, Elma van Boxtel (1975) and Kristian Koreman (1978) founded ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles] in Rotterdam. Their critical research focuses on urban politics of the contemporary city. ZUS takes on solicited and unsolicited designs and research studies in the fields of architecture, urbanism and landscape design.  

ZUS operates in a wide and hybrid field with the ambition to have an impact on the creation of a sustainable living environment. For this purpose they developed a broad range of strategies and expressions. Curating exhibitions, raising public debates and producing publications form an integral part of their practice.    

In 2007, Elma van Boxtel and Kristian Koreman received the prestigious Maaskant Prize for Young Architects. This prize resulted in the publication RE-public on research into the future of the public domain, assembled as a series of observations.  A wider perspective they actually practice in the development of the temporary use of Schieblock, ‘laboratory for urban development’ (in collaboration with codum and LSI).

For the World Expo in Shanghai (2010) ZUS designed a park on the Huangpu river banks. They were also responsible for the design of the ‘garden’ of the Dutch pavilion for which they developed among others the image and the seat ‘Happy Sheep’. They were co-curators of the 5th International Architecture Biennial Rotterdam on the theme Making City. For this biennial ZUS developed a ‘TEST SITE Rotterdam’, a multiannual project that intensified activity in Rotterdam Central District in various ways.  The project ‘De Luchtsingel’ was developed in the framework of the TEST SITE.  ‘De Luchtsingel’ was financed with crowd funding and the competition ‘I make Rotterdam’. 

TOPOS and NAiM/Bureau Europa organize a series of lectures under title ‘raakvlakken’ (‘interfaces’), specifically intended to broaden the perspective in the field of architecture and urban development. Three artists/designers whose work relates to architecture have been invited to allow inspiration from an unexpected angle into the debate on spatial development. 

Three lectures took place on Wednesday evenings in the months October/November/December 2012 at NAiM/Bureau Europa, Avenue Céramique 226, Maastricht.  The lectures were concluded with a short debate.

Date: Wednesday 21 November
Time: 20h – 22h
Language: Dutch
Access: free
Venue: NAiM/Bureau Europa,
Avenue Céramique 226, 6221 KX Maastricht

Projects by ZUS

Lecture studio ZUS in cooperation with TOPOS