rXa Amsterdam, an impression by Roberto Montezuma and Luiz Vieira

The rXa project, with the rich presentations and discussions between the Amsterdam and the Recife teams, improved our perception of both cities, particularly the relationship between water, heritage and mobility. 
We both have been sometimes in Amsterdam along the last two decades.At that time we were both impressed by the architectural and urban landscape,  its channels and fillings, and the multitude fo people moving thorugh the channels or simply biking or simply strolling, but we did not perceive the intricacy of these systems in the Amsterdam urban planning.

The experience of exploring Amsterdam through differents spaces, places, pathways, waterfronts, channels and buildings provided a better understanding of the interconnection of these elements and their role as inseparable parts of a system which has a proper urban image. The hierarchy of public, semi-public, semi-private and private spaces resulted provided spaces in which unique identities in many parts of the city, such as in Java, KNSM and Sporenburg islands. At the same time, experiencing the city either by walking or biking offers unexpected views of the city and its people making their way through it. The green and blue spaces, discussed in the video-conferences, appear very clearly in the urban landscape as we moved by different ways of transportation such as boats, trams, trains, subways and taxis, all of them connected by an  internodal central station.Channel borders and waterfronts structure an unique urban pattern that permeate the territory resulting in different ways of facing the water such as housing, recreation, locomotion and urban water nature.
In our point of view, Amsterdam heritage is the result of a unique and complex relation among hardscape, water, nature and people.

Roberto Montezuma and Luiz Vieira

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Landscape versus Urbanization

A contribution by Luiz Carvalho

In the four video conferences that preceded the 'rXa - Recife Exchange Amsterdam' exhibition in Amsterdam the contrasts and similarities in terms of planning practices in Recife and Amsterdam were already remarkable. So it was no surprise that during the seminar at the opening of the exhibition such comparisons would be more evident. Personally, apart from all that is well know about urban planning and architecture in The Netherlands, what surfaced as one of the main lessons that Recife and Brazilians can learn from the Dutch is their approach towards landscape.

Here in Brazil we tend to treasure and protect mainly the landscape that is still perceived as natural or at least with not much human interference. This seems not to be the case in The Netherlands.
During the seminar we had a sample of a major discussion about the project for the new IJmeer connection between Almere and Amsterdam. The main controversy in this case is related to the effect of the new infrastructure on the environment. From a Brazilian point of view, part of that discussion would be pointless: why so much concern about the environment in a region that has suffered successive interventions, such as dikes and landfills that made it hardly recognisable? That is one of the lessons I learned in that process, that all land that is still free from urbanization should be treasured and object of careful study.

I think we can blame our vast territory and our “endless” natural resources for that lack of attention, but urban sprawl is already inflicting severe problems in our cities and the lesson from Holland, where land resources are scarce, is more than ever, a guideline for the future.

The ‘spiral-up’ movement in which our economy is now makes the coexistence of urban areas and landscape inevitable. What must be tackled is how to make the most of that interaction, how to balance urbanization and quality of life. 

 Afsluitdijk

Luiz Carvalho (1972) is an architect and urbanist graduated at Pernambuco Federal University in 1995. Since 2007 works as manager at NTOU (Urban Renewal Unity) for the State Government of Pernambuco. He was awarded with the 2º prize in a national competion for Recife´s Forum and 1º prize in the competion for the Tacaruna Cultural Center in Olinda. Luiz Carvalho is one of the key persons in the rXa project.

Recife and the WIC revisited: Comprehensive Atlas of the Dutch West India Company

A couple of weeks ago the Grote Atlas van de West-Indische Compagnie / Comprehensive Atlas of the Dutch West India Company, part I, 1621-1674, was presented during the Atlantic Day which was organised by the Dutch National Archive in commemoration of the Unesco denomination of the archives of the WIC as part of the ‘Memory of the World’. Based on information from these archives and with facsimile’s of more than 500 original manuscript maps and topographical drawings, the atlas gives an overview of the developoments of the WIC since its foundation in 1621 and its activities in the Atlantic region during the first fifty years of its existence.

It took the WIC twenty years before one of its main aims was realised: severely damage the Spanish-Portuguese power in the Atlantic. Large profits were gained from privateering in the Caribbean and along the coast of Brazil, with the taking of the Spanish Silverfleet in 1628 by admiral Piet Heijn as the most striking - and lucrative - example. After the conquest of Olinda and Recife in 1630 hopes for large profits from the Brazilian sugar mills however were dashed by the fierce resistance by the inhabitants. It was not until 1641 that the sugar export to Holland became substantial. In the same year Luanda in Angola was conquered in order to ensure a steady supply of African slaves to work the sugar fields and mills.
For Elmina on the Gold Coast in present-day Ghana, conquered in 1637, the trade in gold was of prime importance; for New Amsterdam, now New York, the trade in beaver pelts.


The maps reproduced here and taken from the atlas, illustrate the different situations in the conquered territories.
1. New Amsterdam on the island of Manhattan at the time was not more than a fortified trading post surrounded by ‘bouwerijen’ or European farms. The fur trade with the Indians was located inland along the Hudson and Delaware.

Nieuw Amsterdam: (blad 51o) LoC G 3291.S12 coll. H3 Vault: Harr vol. 3 map 12  Manatus, Noord Rivier

2. The Portuguese fortress of Elmina was conquered but trade along the Gold Coast was totally dependent on contracts and good relations with the local sovereigns; colonisation was not yet an issue.

Elmina, Goudkust: (blad 379b) ONB VdHem 36:21  Elmina en S Jago in opstand  

3. The town of Luanda in Angola was built by the Portuguese where the Dutch occupied the existing buildings and only added some fortifications on the promontory.

Luanda, Angola: (blad 404) NA 4.VELH 619.63  Kaart van Luanda.

4. Olinda in Brazil was built on a hill. The Dutch however did not settle there but preferred the busy trade centre near the harbour on ‘the Recife’ where goods were shipped and ships unloaded, where the company warehouses were situated and were also the free traders settled. In time however Recife became overcrowded to such an extent that governor Johan Maurits had a new city designed, on the island of Antonio Vaz. Most people however preferred to stay in Recife and only a handful of houses were built in new Mauritsstad. The ambitious layout as shown on many maps remained just a dreamed ‘ideal city’.

Brazilië: (blad 243) ONB Atlas Stösch 298-01  Kaart van Recife en Mauritsstad

Information on the WIC atlas: www.asiamaior.nl

Bea Brommer
All images are from the WIC Atlas.

Report Seminar rXa - Recife Exchange Amsterdam 14.10.11

After months of virtual contact, the Amsterdam and Recife delegations finally met in person at the opening seminar of the rXa – Recife Exchange Amsterdam project. The main aim of the seminar was to give the audience an idea of how Recife and Amsterdam are working on their future. A clear vision emerged of two dynamic cities, with both professionals and citizens looking to enhance the quality of life while struggling with a changing planning and construction context. The discussion focussed on the question as to what Recife and Amsterdam might learn from each other.

The seminar started with a presentation on the development of Recife by Noe Sergio from Recife’s planning department. Like Amsterdam, Recife is situated in a low-lying area that has water as its main feature. The 'Dutch' core of the former Mauritsstad is an important node in the city, as is the southern district Boa Viagem. The main challenge at the moment is to improve connections between the various parts of the city. The fact that most of the land in Recife is privately owned makes it difficult for the city council to implement a strategic plan.

Eric van der Kooij from Amsterdam’s planning department linked his presentation on Amsterdam to this issue. Because most of the land in Amsterdam is owned by the city, a strong planning tradition was able to flourish for decades. The economic crisis is currently forcing the city council to plan with fewer resources. Instead of 'over controlling' the development processes, we should seek to activate the various players in the construction process in order to make a better city.

The discussion started with this topic. The Recifians stated that in Recife a long-term planning strategy is lacking. The planning horizon extends to 2014, the year in which the World Cup will take place. They see Amsterdam’s 2040 Structure Plan as an inspiration to connect the various plans and ambitions and persuade the participants in the construction process to work according to an overarching strategy. Both Amsterdam and Recife professionals noted that the era of large-scale construction projects is over. The fast pace of the market, difficulties getting financing (Amsterdam) and controlling building land (Recife) make a more flexible approach essential.

In order to achieve these goals, 'communication' would seem to be the magic word. Communication between architects, commissioners and the city council, and between planners and the public.

In this respect, it is important to have overarching goals that go further than building housing and infrastructure. Improving the quality of water – so omnipresent in both cities – is a good example. Paulien Hartog from Waternet, Amsterdam’s water company, pointed out the importance of connecting water management and city planning. Julien Ineichen, architect in Recife and initiator of the 'I want to swim in the Caipibaribe' project, stressed the importance of making citizens aware of their power but also of their responsibility to improve water quality in Recife.

Karin Westerink from Amsterdam’s Monuments and Archaeology Department observed that heritage is a good topic to get citizens involved in the development of their cities. Heritage represents a city’s historical story and gives a city its unique character.

The second half of the seminar focussed on two projects: the District Park Project in Recife: a student research project in response to a major infrastructural scheme, the 'Via Mangue' (Mangrove highway) and the IJmeer Line, a proposed public transport link between Amsterdam and Almere through IJmeer. A number of comparable conclusions can be drawn from these two schemes. It is of great value to make such large-scale projects more than just infrastructural works. They should be integrated projects that also address issues such as the development of neighbouring districts and the nature areas they pass through.

Over the coming months, the participants in the project will reflect on the themes in greater depth. In discussing the various topics, they will try to grasp the essence of the exchange project: how will Recife and Amsterdam benefit from sharing knowledge and how can they inspire each other to move forward?

Photos: Jan-Dirk van der Burg

Exhibition rXa - Recife Exchange Amsterdam opens at ARCAM, Amsterdam Centre for Architecture, at 14 October 2011

 
Photo: Thiago Pedrosa


ARCAM is presenting the results of a knowledge exchange between Brazilian and Dutch architects regarding future perspectives for Amsterdam and Recife, a city in northeastern Brazil. The exhibition will be opened on 14 October at 17.15, preceded by a seminar.

“We need to go from blueprint to zone planning” (Amsterdam team)
“We need to go from zoning to blueprint planning” (Recife team)
 
Both cities are on the threshold of major changes: In Amsterdam, the economic crisis appears to have put an end to the traditional top-down planning culture once and for all, whereas Recife, by contrast, is searching for ways of lending cohesion to bottom-up driven developments.
A dialogue between the two cities is interesting because of their spatial similarities, born of their historical ties. Recife, originally a Portuguese sea-port, was enlarged by the Dutch in the seventeenth century and, like Amsterdam, is a water city. What can be learned from that so very different city, which was in essence once the same?

With: a brief overview of Amsterdam’s and Recife’s history by means of a visual timeline; four high-profile future projects; short films; T-shirt Exchange (swap your Amsterdam T-shirt for a limited edition rXa shirt from Recife).

14.10.11 Seminar & Opening Exhibition rXa at ARCAM, Amsterdam Centre for Architecture
Location: ARCAM, Prins Hendrikkade 600, Amsterdam, www.arcam.nl
Seminar: 2-5 pm / Opening: 5.15 pm
Admission seminar: € 15
Spoken language: English
Please sign up via arcam@arcam.nl

15.10.11 - 26.11.11 Exhibition rXa - Recife Exchange Amsterdam 
ARCAM, Prins Hendrikkade 600, Amsterdam
Open: Tue-Sat, 1-5 pm
Admission free
www.arcam.nl

The project is organized in cooperation with Brazil expert Paul Meurs, the University of Pernambuco, the municipality of Recife, the state of Pernambuco and the Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil (IAB, Institute of Brazilian Architects). The Amsterdam advisory board consists of the Amsterdam Planning Department (DRO), the Monuments & Archeology Department (BMA), Waternet and the Department of Infrastructure and Traffic (DIVV).

The project takes place during the Brasil Festival Amsterdam (www.brasilfestival.nl) and the Ano da Holanda no Brasil (Holland year) (www.anodaholandanobrasil.com.br).

 
rXa is powered by Stimuleringsfonds voor Architectuur, het Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, the Brazilian Embassy in the Nederlands, the Dutch Embassy in Brasil and Microsoft.



Flora van Gaalen

From pollution to solution - Video conference # 4 – 05.07.11

During the fourth video conference three mayor issues were discussed: the final student plans on the Via Mangue project, the plan for revitalizing the inner city of Recife and the water situation in Recife. Since the first two subjects were extensively described in earlier posts, we will now focus on the water issue.

In Amsterdam cleaner water and a nice waterfront turn out to be huge assets for the identity of a location and a better liveability of an area. The water also offers opportunities to generate sustainable energy. In all these matters it's very important to have the community involved. How are these things going in Recife?

There is a big problem in Recife with pollution of the surface water by sewage because the sewage system is very basic. Architect Julien Ineichen investigates ways to work on a better sanitation system using architecture. A key thing is to tackle the cultural problem that the Recifens don't seem to care for cleaner water. For this purpose he conducts the campaign 'Eu quero nadar no Capibaribe, e voce?/I want to swim in the Capibaribe, and you?'. Via a website (http://capibaribe.info/, http://swimmingtherivers.net/) and regular events he aims to create a positive identity of the Capibaribe and invites the public to participate.

Paulien Hartog from Waternet is impressed by the project; it seems to be a good initiative to trigger community involvement. The main question if people are willing to change their behaviour, is a challenge in Amsterdam as well. We may have a good 'top-down system' but we have to combine it with bottom-up initiatives. A nice reference are swimming pools in the river like they have in Amsterdam, Kopenhagen and Berlin. People can experience what it would be like to swim in the river.

Regarding the sewerage system in Recife, this should obviously be improved. In Amsterdam we have an efficient system, but because this 'traditional' system is firmly in place, newer, better systems are difficult to implement. Having areas with no system at all is sometimes a good thing, so you can immediately start with realizing the best solutions.

Ana Virginia from COMPESA (Sanitation company of Pernambuco) explains how Recife is working on better water sanitation. The sewerage system is facilitated by Compesa, the public water drainage by the municipality. The two networks sometimes are interconnected – without the owners knowing! - which often leads to overuse. Together with private parties they now are working on a project to provide sewerage for the whole metropolitan region of Recife.

    Hanneke's Boom Amsterdam

A main challenge, both in Recife and in Amsterdam, is how to make sure drainage and sanitation solutions are integrated in urban development.

Flora van Gaalen

Students project: Transforming Via Mangue's territory into a District Park.

In video conference #4 the student's project presented a new concept of how to intervene in the area of study. Since there is a lack of green and public spaces in Boa Viagem and Pina's districts the idea is to expand the mangrove into the city, by transforming these districts into a District Park. The main objective of this concept is to highlight and to create new public and green spaces throughout the area providing a new pleasant environment where the citizens and the city interact.

One of the main challenges of this project is how to trespass the barrier created by the Via Mangue's construction. Although this freeway promises to relief Recife's chaotic traffic, other negative aspects of its design and characteristics must be discussed, such as the fact it does not contemplate public transportation, it mostly blocks the view and the access to the mangrove and it does not present any sustainable solutions.

The students developed ten different macro plans according to the concept of a District Park, indicating possible solutions for social and urban problems, which may already pre-exist or appear as a result of Via Mangue. One of the projects is the one located in a Zone of Special Social Interest (ZEIS). This project's proposal seeks to break high-density blocks and to transform the neighbourhood into an open and healthy space, guarantying a better quality of life the community.

After October's exposition at ARCAM the students intend to expose this project to Recife's City Hall to provoke a debate among the citizens about Recife's urban problems and necessities; projects developed by public/private partnership and, most importantly, what is their opinion and suggestions concerning these subjects.

Amanda Dias, Morgana Lima and Fernanda Lins