Winy Maas on "Water: Curse or Blessing!?" at the Embassy of the Netherlands, Berlin

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On 18 June at the Embassy of the Netherlands, Berlin, founding partner Winy Maas will participate in the Aedes Lab Series "Water: Curse or Blessing!?" Reflecting on Bastide Niel in his introduction to the event, Winy will discuss the 35 hectare masterplan, which is transforming the site of a former military barracks and rail yards adjacent to the Garonne River. Situated in the river's floodplain, resilience was a fundamental for the site, incorporating planning for 100 year flood events, refurbishing existing buildings, and lifting new constructions above ground level. An extensive level of water buffers was also introduced under the new buildings, ensuring a safe and livable neighbourhood on the floodplain,  without blocking the river system's natural flows, and the neighbourhood benefits from its own cooling microclimate, delivered via extensive green planting. 

Following presentations by Michelle Sanchez (Sustainability Lead, RSHP), Sandra Phlippen, (Chief Economist, ABN AMRO Bank), and Henk Ovink (Executive Director, Commissioner, Global Commission on the Economics of Water, New York), Winy will then moderate a panel discussion featuring the three speakers, provoking discussion on urgent questions including whether disaster mitigation can generate new economic opportunities, and how incentives can be created for a sustainable, potentially circular economy while integrating water-conscious spatial planning and building measures.

The ‘M’ of MVRDV, Founding Partner and Principal Architect Winy Maas has received international acclaim for his broad range of urban planning and building projects, across all typologies and scales. These are often self-generated, innovative, experimental, and theoretical. Driven by this dedication to green, user-defined, sustainable cities and spaces, Maas’ leadership drives many of the office’s award-winning projects, amongst them Rotterdam’s Markthal, Crystal Houses, the Tianjin Binhai Library, Valley and the first publicly accessible art depot in the world, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen. 

  • Date & Time: 18 June from 18:30 (CET)
  • Location: Embassy of the Netherlands, Klosterstraße 50, 10179 Berlin
  • More information on the event can be found here