The scale in-between and

the PATCHWORK METROPOLIS

Carlo Pisano
DICAAR - Architecture
FLORENCE 19-05-2017 University of Cagliari
Shaping Regional Futures
Vision for the Metropolitan City of Florence, 2017,
Lab. Regional Design, DIDA, University of Florence.
Vision for the Metropolitan City of Florence, 2017,
Lab. Regional Design, DIDA, University of Florence.
1 3

1 Metrobild Zurich, 2011, Berchtold Krass, Urban Catalyst

2 Future of the Ruhr Metropolis, 2013, TEAM C, rha richer haase

associierte, West 8, MIC

3 Vision for the Metropolitan City of Florence, 2017, Lab. Regional

Design, DIDA, University of Florence.

2
Metrobild Zurich, 2011, Berchtold Krass, Urban Catalyst
Playing Tangram Spatial Catalog

>

Metrobild Zurich, 2011, Berchtold Krass, Urban Catalyst

Future of the Ruhr Metropolis, 2013,
TEAM C, rha richer haase associierte, West 8, MIC
Future of the Ruhr Metropolis, 2013,
TEAM C, rha richer haase associierte, West 8, MIC
Future of the Ruhr Metropolis, 2013,
TEAM C, rha richer haase associierte, West 8, MIC
Vision for the Metropolitan City of Florence, 2017,
Lab. Regional Design, DIDA, University of Florence.
Vision for the Metropolitan City of Florence, 2017,
Lab. Regional Design, DIDA, University of Florence.
Vision for the Metropolitan City of Florence, 2017,
Lab. Regional Design, DIDA, University of Florence.
THE PATCHWORK METROPOLIS
W. J. Neutelings, 1989

Willem Jan Neutelings, (1989) De Tapijtmetropool In: Willem Jan

Neutelings, 1990. Maaskant Foundation - 010 Publishers, Rotterdam
YPENBURG

Topographic map of the area between Rotterdam and The Hague, Province of South Wing. 1989
THE HAGUE

DELFT

ROTTERDAM

Willem Jan Neutelings, (1989) De Tapijtmetropool In: Willem Jan

Neutelings, 1991. Maaskant Foundation - 010 Publishers, Rotterdam
 Willem Jan Neutelings, (1989) De Tapijtmetropool In: Willem Jan
Neutelings, 1991. Maaskant Foundation - 010 Publishers, Rotterdam
 Willem Jan Neutelings, (1989) De Tapijtmetropool In: Willem Jan
Neutelings, 1991. Maaskant Foundation - 010 Publishers, Rotterdam
 The legend

Historic centres

Historic filaments

Neighbourhoods
(first half ‘900)

Cauliflower neighbourhoods
(60ies-80ies)

Industrial and commercial

areas along canals

Glass house districts

Parks

Port and industries

Willem Jan Neutelings, (1989) De Tapijtmetropool In: Willem Jan

Neutelings, 1991. Maaskant Foundation - 010 Publishers, Rotterdam
 Neighbourhoods Cauliflower neighbourhoods
Historic centres Historic filaments (first half ‘900) (60ies-80ies)

Industrial and commercial

areas along canals Glass house districts Parks Port and industries

The Legend of the Patchwork Metropolis. Author’s own (2016)

 1 2 3

4 5 6

1. Unknown 2.Before 1900 3.Between 1900-1950 4.Between

1950-1970 5.Between 1970-1990 6. After 1990

Disassembling the Patchwork Metropolis, Author’s own (2015)

 0 5 Km

0 5 Km

1 Centro urbano

0 5 Km
4 Serre

2 New Town

0 5 Km

3 Periferia

The space in between the patches patches

Author’s own (2016) on Willem Jan Neutelings (1989)
The space in between the patches patches
Giaime Meloni (2015)
The patchwork rationalities

Industrial and commercial patches along the infrastructure Filaments and centres The Hague and Rotterdam urban growth
«A twenty-minute drive takes the Randstad-dweller past sculptural oil refineries, colourful bulb-fields, intimate garden
cities, medieval rings of canals, eight-lane motorways, hypermarkets, functional high-rise estates, lakes for recreation, old
Dutch windmills, university campuses, tourist beaches, protected dune landscapes, glass roofs of greenhouses, reflecting
business parks, motels and furniture megastores, rubbish tips and golf courses, airfields, markets, squares and mosques.»

Willem Jan Neutelings, (1989) De Tapijtmetropool In: Willem Jan

Neutelings, 1990. Maaskant Foundation - 010 Publishers, Rotterdam
The world according to Huda
Author’s own (2011)
 De Tapijtmetropool, Willem Jan Neutelings (1990) Naked city, Guy Debord (1958)

«There is no one society, but an amalgamation of changing lifestyles, cultures, images, market relations and
spheres of influence, where any trendsetting avant-garde is lost in a cacophony of ideologies.»

Willem Jan Neutelings, (1989) De Tapijtmetropool In: Willem Jan

Neutelings, 1990. Maaskant Foundation - 010 Publishers, Rotterdam
Willem Jan Neutelings, (1989) De Tapijtmetropool In: Willem Jan Neutelings, 1990.
Maaskant Foundation - 010 Publishers, Rotterdam
The golf city
The socio-bungalow
The park ribbon

Willem Jan Neutelings, (1989) De Tapijtmetropool

in NAI treasure
Willem Jan Neutelings, (1989) De Tapijtmetropool
From the Archives of NAI (2015)
 Urban tissue of the area between
Rotterdam and The Hague
In black before 1991, in red after 1991.
Source: Kadaster, panden bouwjaar
(2015), C.Pisano (2015)

«We stated that it was impossible to guide the territory at the Randstad scale. The only way in which we can guide
the territory is at the patch level. You can replace the old patches with new ones, you can fragment the existing
ones, but in the neo-liberal and market oriented society you cannot still think that it is possible to guide the
Randstad as a whole.»
Extract from an interview to W.J. Neutelings (2011)
Towards neoliberalism
1992 Vinex Policy
Green patches from 1990, 2000, designed for 2020
Localisation of new neighbourhoods
C. Pisano (2011)
For 2020 are foreseen 28500 ha of new parks
C. Pisano (2011)
Volgerland, Dordrecht
 Ypenburg

Peri-urban park

Glass house district

Updating the Patchwork Metropolis

In red the patches appeared after the 1989.
Author’s own (2016)
 Brabantstad Patchwork Metropolis
IABR 2014
Architecture Workroom Brussels, Floris Alkemade
Architect and LOLA Landscape Architects.
 Brabantstad Patchwork Metropolis
IABR 2014
Architecture Workroom Brussels, Floris Alkemade
Architect and LOLA Landscape Architects.
 Brabantstad Patchwork Metropolis
IABR 2014
Architecture Workroom Brussels, Floris Alkemade
Architect and LOLA Landscape Architects.
 Willem Jan Neutelings, (1989) De Tapijtmetropool In: Willem Jan
Neutelings, 1991. Maaskant Foundation - 010 Publishers, Rotterdam

«The spread-out Randstad Holland is an endless urban whole,

where programmatic fragments form a patchwork metropole.
Within this composition, new force-lines are proposed,
as a permanent transition the patchwork is composed.
The power of the existing is combined with future needs,
as exemplary fragments were imbedded in the fields.»
W. J. Neutelings in Antwerpen, De Singel, 1990