Münster Delegation visiting Enschede
A delegation of Münster politicians, municipality and representatives of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) North Rhine-Westphalia made an inspiring excursion to Enschede this week. The excursion, organised by IAA Architecten, IHK and the association “Mehr Mut zur Tat” (“More Courage to Act”), aimed to give the German visitors an insight into the Dutch approach to urban development and housing construction. Enschede and Münster are partner cities and have had good relations for years.
Learning from Neighbours
During previous discussions in Münster, organised by “Mehr Mut zur Tat”, it became clear that there is great interest in how the Netherlands manages to realise new developments quickly and efficiently. This was an important reason for Mr Sümmermann, initiator of “Mehr Mut zur Tat”, to organise a visit to Enschede together with Mr von Lengerke, from the IHK. Peter Roelvink, partner-architect at and responsible for German projects within IAA Architecten hosted and showed the group around. By learning from each other and looking beyond the boundaries of our own methods, we can improve ourselves.
The Milk Hall: Preserving Cultural Heritage
The tour began with a presentation on the development of the Boddenkamp and Milk Hall by Erik Workel, also partner architect at IAA Architecten. Timo Kemerink op Schiphorst, Project Manager Centrumkwadraat, Marieke Goorhuis Oude Sandering, lawyer, Elise Radema, Project Manager and René Bogaarts represented the municipality of Enschede and gave a thourough overview of current and future developments within Enschede and the processes necessary for this successful transformation. This covered various topics, such as permit processes, the role of the municipality and cooperation between developers, housing corporations and architects.
Diversity of Residential Areas and Modular Construction as an Example
The group then toured the neighbourhoods of Boddenkamp, Roombeek and In ‘t Zeggelt. Afterwards, the group was shown around the new Performance Factory building by Dirk Roskam van Domijn and Dick Nijkamp as well as Rick Borst van Goosen Te Pas. The Performance Factory is a dynamic and multifunctional residential building combined with commercial functions and provides space for various startups. The building is an example of modular construction and is located at the former Polaroid factory.
The German delegation was visibly impressed by the diversity of architecture and Dutch construction methods. During the excursion, several questions of the German delegation were addressed: the speed of construction processes in the Netherlands, the affordability of housing, and the differences in regulations and sustainability between the two countries. The insights gained will undoubtedly help stimulate discussion and perhaps prompt possible new solutions.
The excursion to Enschede proved a great success and provided the Münster politicians and representatives with a lot of information and inspiration. The visit to Enschede made it clear that there is much to learn from each other and cross-border exchange is an important part of improving and inspiring each other.