CONCEPT
Function - A public space to meet people and a place that relieves people from the pressure to perform, a place to play.
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What ''form follows function''? The city is shaped for speed, straight streets are efficient and take us quickly from a to b. Round shapes and winding walkways give us peace and time to get from a to b, it is in connection with nature and that is in contrast to the city.
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Which timeslots - The time outside of the holidays, when millennials experience the most pressure and are the most alone.
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Target group - Millennials
WHY
The city is getting fuller and fuller. With more than 650 thousand inhabitants, Rotterdam ranks second among the most densely populated municipalities in the Netherlands. The diversity of Rotterdam is an attraction for people with different backgrounds. The wide range in education and employment mainly attracts the target group between 20 and 40 years old, also known as millennials.
There is enormous pressure to perform among the millennials, says psychologist and "millennial expert" Thijs Launspach. You come to the city for work and school and the pressure is higher to perform well. This target group grew up with the idea that they are responsible for their happiness and success by themselves. In addition, millennials have grown up in a period when the use of social media has become increasingly popular. Through social media they are constantly in contact with peers and are constantly confronted with other people's happiness or success.
"You can achieve anything you want, we get along in the upbringing. When something doesn't work, you can only point to yourself. " - Jasper Scholten (millennial expert and author of The Millennial Mystery)
The hustle and bustle and speed of the city does not bring peace of mind. Certainly not in times of corona. Everyone who is on the street now, goes to work or school or comes from there. The places to relax are closed and visiting family or friends is not like it used to be. We are mainly dependent on ourselves and this increases the pressure to perform.
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Despite the fact that the millennials grew up in times of social media, there is loneliness among this group. In 2018 this was the loneliest group in society. Social media seems to provide a lot of contacts, but in reality this is different. Older generations are used to calling or visiting someone when you need a conversation. This is different among millennials. Contacts are often made via WhatsApp messages. As a result, no one-to-one contact takes place. This easy way of communicating also keeps us at a distance faster. Where we used to go to ask how things are going, we now send a message. There is no physical contact and we really need this when we feel lonely.
WHAT
During this project I turn the roof of the Koopman building into a place for millennials. The place is meant to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a while. The location ensures that you are literally above the city. The new design is there to break the grind of everyday life. Currently (in during of corona) life seems monotonous and superficial. We don't experience much to get energy out of it and days seem to be gray.
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This project stands for carefree and freedom. With my design I want to create a youthful feeling. Empty your head by having fun and "having to" do nothing. This idea partly arose from what I saw last month when there was snow. From young to old, everyone had fun and enjoyed the weather. Corona and other problems didn't seem to exist anymore. The main thing at the time was having fun.
For children, there are quite a few places to play in the city. For adults, the places to relax are often entertainment areas or parks. There is no place to play for adults. While adults also get a lot of energy from it.
HOW
The roof makes it possible to escape the hustle and bustle of the city by literally standing above it. I therefore want to create a clear contrast between downstairs and upstairs. The city is efficiently designed and this ensures clean lines and rectangular shapes. I want to create a completely different atmosphere on the roof, by using round shapes. Round shapes often come from nature. The rectangular roof gets a different shape through the use of these round shapes.
On the roof you will find the opportunity to play, relax, exercise and meet people. A team sport must ensure that new contacts are made and that you are active in sports. You can also relax in the lounch. Rocking, jumping off the slide and trampoline give back the feeling of childhood, the carefree feeling. In addition, there are countless elements on the roof of which the user can decide what to do with it.
Everything is about freedom and doing what you feel like, nothing is allowed, everything is allowed.