How can the national library best accommodate the collection and curation of
knowledge to encourage learning in an age of digitalisation?
During the graduation studio Complex Projects the role of the national library in
Germany was put under investigation. The national library functions as a central place where all published work of the nation is collected. How does the library position themselves to stay relevant for information that can be curated for it to be easily accessible. The use of the building will need to be revised to continue serving its users and engage a new generation and audience. Currently the collection is stored in multiple cities in Germany, which defeats the goal of the national library to centralise the collection. As the collection continued to grow it resulted in buildings with multiple extensions and not optimal storage conditions. The design of the national library emphasises the representation of all media such as books as well as online publications, providing a welcoming space for the public, organising events and encouraging learning.

The research and design is about the future of transportation in Amsterdam Amstel and the large node in the area called the mid-city transport hub. Transportation will change in the Amstel area. How people will move through Amstel will change, the same is true for the connection of the Amstel area with other parts of Amsterdam or the Netherlands. The city will become too busy for the car, there will be an increasing use and demand of public transportation. Transportation is not only the transport of people but also the transport of goods. A current trend is that the delivery of goods in the city will increase, due to the increasing ordering of goods on the internet. A new system has to be implemented to accommodate these developments of goods delivery. A possible solution, to these two trends, is to combine them into one building, the mid-city transport hub. To know how this new building typology will work the following research question is raised: How will the future mid-city transport hub be in the Amstel area in the year 2100? In this research the conclusion is proposed that the future mid-city transport hub will be a combination between a node for human transport from Amstel to the rest of the city of Amsterdam and a fulfillment center for goods delivery in the Amstel area. It will have multiple roles to fulfill to become a gateway the Amsterdam Amstel.

With the entertainment industry having a significant role in our future society, video gaming will naturally be a part of our lives. Gaming has been a growing industry since its introduction in the 70s, however, this activity will be more than just a hobby in the year 2100. Video games will be considered to be the equivalent of physical sports, with professional leagues and large entertainment and merchandise branches, gaming will be a culture and lifestyle. New technologies such as augmented reality, holograms, and zero gravity machines will alter the spatial and social relationship we have nowadays. The screen where we see play video games on is extended as far as our vision reaches, and zero gravity makes it possible to utilize the vertical planes of spaces, resulting in new ways to experience and use our spaces. The formal social arrangement that exists in theatre and stage typologies which are commonly used for screening eSports competitions will get more blurred in the future because augmented technology extends the field of action to your whole field of vision and hologram technology will make it easier to emerge the spectator into the action itself. The future gaming hub will combine the competitive, production and consumer segments of the industry in one high tech building. The three different users can reinforce each other’s workflow creating a synergy of gaming in one place. Besides the building being the mecca for future gaming, it spatially plays a vital role in mediating travelers in the surrounding context. All in all, Game Grounds will be a landmark in Amstel City, connecting people and by providing a universe of gaming possibilities.

When looking at the future we try to imagine what will be factors in life we value the most. When it comes to focussing on the main quality of life it comes down to our health. Health will grow into becoming a lifestyle and not only a clinical state. Within a city where the population count will grow towards 1.5 million inhabitants it is the task of the designer to preserve or enhance life quality. Engaging in social, mental and physical health in an everyday life will be the main focus in a growing city. Nowadays the level of medical possibilities is not equal to the system it is housed in. With the rise of technology within the medical field a new typology can develop to serve the public need to engage in health, which will be an everyday activity. The Amstel Health Base is the example of a decentralized connected healthcare network in the city of Amsterdam in 2100, where the care is provided towards the patient by experiencing a complete autonomous visit and exiting the building in a state of betterment. The building serves a strong public role, where all facets of health have a place.

In the future smart city, living and working in the city will have major changes. For architecture, this means a different approach in connectionen area's, neighbourhoods, functions and spaces.

Within architecture there is and always has been a relationship between the dichotomy of the permanent and the temporary. Over the centuries this has been investigated leading to thought provoking observations and descriptions such as Aldo Rossis's 'The Architecture of the City' and John Habraken’s 'Bearer and Infill'. If we consider 'a monument': a building that one wants to maintain because it is appreciated, then we begin to see that this theme is also deeply entangled with the term sustainability. The research has shown that when a building's construction or 'bearer' is valuable (for example, because it has architectural qualities), there is a greater chance of conservation.  Within the design part of the thesis it has been attempted to design a monument. A strong bearer that could withstand the trials and tribulations of time. A building that has a certain adapt ability, but whose construction is stern and proud.