ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles]

The duo Van Boxel and Koreman and their office ZUS are working on solicited and unsolicited designs and research studies in the field of architecture, urbanism and landscape design. With a strong belief that the architect has to claim a strong position in the public debate on the future of our cities, Van Boxel and Koreman see a large share of their pro-active work as urban politics. 

The imaginary power of architecture can contribute to a necessary shift of boundaries between private and public, short and long term, temporary and permanent. It’s within these paradoxes that true progressive projects can emerge that on the one hand take a long-term responsibility and on the other hand offer a possibility for user- and civic engagement. The projects of ZUS are therefore never just architectural statements, but fundamentally routed within the city, civic society and within a extensive planning tradition. 

A typical result of their proactive working method is the Test Site Rotterdam. As an ignition Van Boxel and Koreman turned a vacant office block in the middle of Rotterdam into an urban laboratory, now known as the Schieblock penetrated by a 340 meter wooden pedestrian bridge, the Luchtsingel that will re-connect separated parts of the fragmented city center of Rotterdam. It will serve as a backbone for the development of a series of new public spaces. While the bridge is partly crowd-funded, it also received the Rotterdam City Initiative 2012 as investment for the development of the bridge. New programming and public spaces. The finalisation of the whole project is within the year.