how do you like the temporary location? “...to be honest I like it very much here.. I guess TU Delft invested lot of money and energy to make us happy here....it’s also nice to be so close by the city center; also to the TU library, the station. The only thing I still have to get used are these dead end corridors...you get lost very easily here....”

what do you miss from the former building? “...well, I think everyone liked that building, the enormous corridor that we had led us have easy contact with all other students, exhibitions...it was very easy to get input and exchange opinions and we don’t have that in this building...we don’t have that much interaction...”

Nine out of ten students, teachers, researchers, staff or simply visitors would come up with a similar answer. Why would it be better to build in the old location a new building than in the existing location reuse and extend the old building? The temporary building of the Faculty of Architecture is located on the front side of the TU Delft Campus. Its singular position, between the old city and the University make of this building the perfect place as it would work as an example for the whole campus. Half way is already done. The inversion can be considerably lower if we reuse what inevitably had to be renewed.

The entry amalgam, like a number of other proposals, including BK City, not a Metaphor, departs from the existing university building on the Julianalaan that currently serves as the architecture faculty. Even though the Julianalaan building is intended as a temporary solution, the proposal for the faculty to remain at this site and invest in improving its facilities should be seriously considered. Indeed, instead of building a totally new structure, starting from the existing situation could be a wise strategy in these times of economic and ecological crisis. The idea of re-use could also then be seen as a statement made by the university to re-value and improve historical campus buildings, and thus enhance sustainability.
amalgam proposes to extend the Julianalaan building, combining the orthogonal geometry of the existing building with an expressive new architecture. The new parts are very carefully positioned, delicately establishing a relation with the existing building. The programmatic organisation is clear and, by avoiding dead ends and disorientation, helps to overcome the labyrinth-like character of the existing building. This is achieved by organising all public functions along a street, and by positioning the studio spaces and offices in the transversal wings. The street functions like a backbone, providing possibilities for interaction through public facilities, presentation and exhibition. The density that comes with enlarging the existing premises is dealt with through the use of patios, which provide daylight and outdoor spaces.
According to the jury, amalgam is by far the most convincing of the entries that proposed using the Julianalaan building as a permanent solution. amalgam presents a clear, well-argued vision of the faculty of the future, and also offers a feasible design solution that convincingly shows that a combination of re-use and new construction can result in a strong architectural identity, which is fitting for an internationally renowned and innovative architecture faculty. This proposal takes a courageous position in complementing the existing building with an architecturally strong counterpart. The jury awards amalgam the highest possible marks.