Marjolijn Boterenbrood
Mobile Architecture on the Stork property

Mobile architecture and so-called light urban development are actually the subject of a discussion regarding new forms of living and working. The enormous speed with which information technology has taken off as well as the increase and perfectionism of transport means have led to a society that is slowly turning into a network society in which individual solutions are being sought for general problems. Mobility is a key word in this. Yet we simultaneously observe that the more or less ‘forgotten’ places that could be spontaneously appropriated are becoming increasingly scarce in the over-regulated Holland. With the exhibition, Mobiele Architectuur op het Storkterrein that took place in Amsterdam, SKOR aimed to contribute to the debate regarding these developments.

For this exhibition, SKOR assembled a variety of living and working spaces. In addition to this SKOR and the AFK commissioned ten artists to design a mobile residential and occupational unit. Participants included Andre van Bergen, Dirk van Lieshout, Luc Deleu, Liesbeth Bik Jos van der Pol, Klaas Kloosterboer, Phantom Büro, Henrik Plenge Jacobson and Dominique Gonzales Foerster
The exhibition ran during the manifestation Werk Spoor on 28, 29 and 30 September 2001 and could be viewed independently during the following three weekends.

photo: Theo Krijgsman

Matti Suuronen: Futuro House

In 1968 Finnish designer, Matti Suuronen, designed the Futuro House. Futuro House was the last in a long series of designs for experimental capsule-shaped houses. The first examples date as far back as the late 1920s such as those made by Buckminster Fuller. Only a few designs were actually realized.
Suuronen’s oval house is made of fiber glass and consists of 16 units. The prefabricated interior features a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. The house was specifically designed for a holiday resort and can accommodate 11 persons. The Futuro House is one of the few examples in this series of houses that can be easily transported thanks to its modular composition.

Atelier van Lieshout: Tampa-skull

The Tampa-skull is a space station-like accommodation with all the necessary facilities for eating, washing, working and sleeping. The geometrical form of the exterior - which can roam freely in space – and the simple interiors emphasize that this design is meant for self-sufficient usage. In a playful fashion, the Tampa-skull alludes to the increasing phenomenon of the “mini break??? in the way that its Spartan interior promotes introspection in the user.

Dré Wapenaar: Winterbivak (Winter Lodgings)

With his futuristic tent-like constructions, Dré Wapenaar aims to orchestrate or, at the very least, influence meetings between people. The Winterbivak is part of Wapenaar’s expansive repertoire of sculpturesque tents that feature a variety of functions such as the shower tent, the kiosk tent, the tree tent and the barbecue tent. Although detached from any preconceived idea of how people function in groups, the use of these tents nevertheless illustrates the unforeseen processes of the universal group instinct.

Piet Hein Eek: Tuinhuis Tuinhuis (Garden House, Garden House)

Designer Piet Hein Eek strives to create the self-evident. His series of garden houses is characterized by the use of salvaged wood, used windows and used doors. Each house has also been made according to traditional methods. The design is determined by the material which shows signs of age. It is additionally determined by the garden house as a prototype that possesses its own specific function.

Yuri Leiderman and Vadim Fishkin: Hotelit

The Hotelit is made up of a uniquely designed container that simultaneously functions as a hotel room and an exhibition space. The exterior was, according to the designers, created as a ‘visual capsule’ and represents a large urban building. The comfortably- furnished hotel room can accommodate both guests as well as the works of other fellow artists. In this scenario Leiderman and Fishin act as curators. Through the combination of functions and through their explicit design, they have created a unique space in which the guests themselves become part of the work of art.

Jack Brandsma: Mobiel Huishouden (Mobile Household)

With his ‘crate project’, Jack Brandsma designed a mobile household that focuses on the concepts of mobility and intimacy. ‘Mobility’ because people are constantly displacing themselves in space and ‘intimacy’ because of a need for shelter in large empty spaces, such as abandoned former schools, offices and factories. It is increasingly often that spaces like these are claimed as living spaces.

Koers Zeinstra Van Gelderen architecten: Tuimelhuis (Tumbling House)

The Tuimelhuis which was designed by architects Koers, Zeinstra and Van Gelderen represents - much like garden furniture - a mobile component of the immobile house. The Tuimelhuis offers the compact solution to an extensive catalog of functions and, by moving it around, the potential usages of the Tuimelhuis are constantly evolving. One minute it’s a store room, a study, a bedroom or a playroom and the next it’s a sheltered outdoor space. A number of Tuimelhuizen can create a constantly shifting configuration of buildings around the garden path. This informal method of building relates to the specific regenerative and season-bound character of gardens and courtyards.