The 0th Place

Abstract

Left-over spaces within the city present problems on various scales and mediums. While these left-over spaces, named as Urban cracks, are necessary for the city’s structure, they hold untapped potential. This project aims to systematically identify, analyze, uncover, and activate these spaces in Rotterdam, specifically in the Brandgrens area. The objective is to define them as “0th places,” where the space functions as a regulated yet adaptable zone to host site-specific activities and remains flexible to allow for change.
The Brandgrens area was chosen due to its significant history, particularly after the World War II bombings, where new developments emerged adjacent to the old urban fabric. This pattern can occur in any city, as new developments continuously create new urban cracks.
The methods used included Research by Design, Critical Mapping, Fieldwork, Data Mining, Morphological Analysis, Modeling, and Literature Review. The results produced an analytical framework to identify these spaces within the city, understand their various relationships (a map of opportunities), and develop a final detailed design showing different scenarios and a city-scale strategy to extend the intervention’s effects.
The conclusion is that these spaces can indicate problems in their surroundings, if not within themselves. They require further study from different perspectives and approaches to bridge the gap between urbanism and architecture and to enable people to reclaim their space. While the project can be applied globally, the differences in urban fabrics, functions, cultures, social groups, environments, and economic situations mean that urban cracks, their potential, and their necessity will vary. The exploratory approach in this project allows for flexibility in addressing the ambiguities related to urban cracks in different contexts.