The project “Interactive Gemaal” is an urban intervention project to take control of a vandalized public space and improve the environment. This intervention takes the form of an installation that indicates the nature of the surrounding environment and the activities.
Project Brief :
How can the defunct Gemaal (pumping station) at the corner of Wibautstraat be turned into an installation that could involve interactivity and information to convey the impression of this locality as being part of an upcoming campus that serves as common ground for students, teachers and professionals where they can meet, exchange ideas and work together ? How can this be done in a way so that future developments in the campus are consistent with this theme, and how can future developments be made so that there is coherence between the distinct parts of the campus ?
The assigners for this project are Bureau Nieuwbouw and all 7 domains of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) , with various departments of the upcoming AmstelCampus of the HvA as stakeholders.
Solution:
The Interactive Gemaal, showcases projects from the different domains of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, and can be changed regularly. The posters inform passersby of some projects that are going on inside the walls of the university, it’s a display from HvA to Amsterdam. In front of the posters there are three tiles that spectators can step on to show that they like the corresponding project. As the a user steps on a tile, the LED strips show a rythm of light, moving towards the liked poster, putting it in the spotlight for a few seconds, before the light on all three posters is turned on again. The entire installation is solar-powered.