project14:InterviewBjörnvanRheenen

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Interview with architect Björn van Rheenen

10-02-2012 During the site visit we entered the kunststad. Because we wanted to know more about the people who work in the kunsstad we knocked on the door of the architect office Sponge,. We were kindly welcomed and were able to ask some questions. In short this was the outcome:

Björn has worked in his office in the city center but he was looking for something more exciting. He heard about the NDSM and applied for a studio in 2003. Björn has helped designing the kunststad itself and through this he got his own studio. Björn started as one of the first artists in the kunststad.

Björn tells us he has quite a few contacts with his fellow inhabitants of the kunsstad. Most his contacts are within the hangar itself and not so much mith the rest of the NDSM. There are two main foundations at the NDSM; Kinetic Noord and the NDSM foundation. There appears to be some interaction between the two but not very much.

On personal level Björn does to some festivals at the NDSM.

Björn doesnt want too much commercial devellopment at the NDSM. So no new massive housing projects. Within the hangar he misses a catering facility and he would like to see more little companies inside the hangar. There should be more 'life' around in the city. He would like to have more people around and more interaction between the artist.

NDSM as a whole will be more creative, bigger, more events, Björn is quite positive about the future developments. It's important to keep in mind what the place is about and what you really want to achieve, if you dont you will destroy it all.

Björn works together with multiple artists within the hangar. There are three levels on which the cooperation between the studios work. 1.He supports the other artists by adressing some of his other contacts to the artists within the hangar. 2.Also sometimes gives jobs to the other artists himself, for example if he needs furniture in a design he might ask for a furniture designer to do the job. 3.They work together in complete projects.

What could be added in the hangar is a room where people can interact. He feels some good initiatives to achieve this are held back by the rules and regulation. In Björn's opinion there should be much more chances to interact with the other artists in the hangar.

Thank you Björn van Rheenen. you have been tagged!.