MVRDV - TransformationsTransformations

'citydoctors' who recycle buildings

Transformations

The most exciting places are ones that are living, constantly evolving by repurposing their pasts for the next generation of residents. In many cases, that means reusing the buildings we already have, and thus restorations, renovations, and other transformations are crucial to a functioning city—whether on the scale of individual family houses or vast post-industrial complexes. On this subject, we really mean what we say: our own offices are housed in a renovated building that became the catalyst for the regeneration of an entire neighbourhood.

The first project we realized in our home city of Rotterdam is emblematic of this subject. Our Didden Village project extends a single family house upwards, with a bright blue rooftop addition that has become a landmark in the neighbourhood. Designed to bring the feeling of village streets to the rooftop, it is also a study in how our use of the existing city can be intensified for the coming urban era.

In Gangnam, Seoul, our transformation of the Chungha Building took an old, tired building and converted it into one of the most eye-catching commercial buildings in the area—coincidentally, right around the time that Gangnam’s reputation became assured by PSY’s global hit song. By seeing the building’s odd collection of tenants as an opportunity rather than a constraint, our design added a number of striking store windows, for each tenant to develop their own strong identity within a greater whole.

At 133 Wai Yip Street in Hong Kong, the rawness of the existing building became our inspiration for the design. The interior of the building was stripped back to the bare structure, and additions were made only in glass, steel, and white paint, creating a clear delineation between old and new elements.

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