IJsselhotel, The Alternative

03/09/2004    Architecture, Art, Design 3D, WILLIE

An exhibition organized by artists’ initiative WILLIE in the IJsselhotel, Deventer. At the time of this exhibition the IJsselhotel is still in temporary use by WILLIE, and functions as an art space and venue. But there are plans to make the IJsselhotel a real hotel again, which is probably a good thing, because it’s a deteriorating monumental building in a high class location.

WILLIE collected alternatives for the published definitive plans for reconstruction of the IJsselhotel by means of this exhibition, because they felt the commisioned Deventer architect Paul Dirks had done a really poor job. Clumsy design with a lot of lame excuses (the architect probably calls them arguments) and total disrespect for the nature of the location and the original building.

Agreeing with WILLIE’s point of view (together with a lot of other architects, designers and inhabitants of Deventer), I came up with the following alternative sketch designs for reconstruction of the IJsselhotel in Deventer. They are both more or less ‘subtle’ parodies on the design and arguments of the architect in question.

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Nr.2 (right side view): The IJsselhotel is restored as it at present day exists. Then the IJsselhotel is mirrored and reproduced next to the existing building. This mirrored reproduction has a skin of sandblasted glass. In the places where the original structure of the IJsselhotel opens up (windows, doors), the reproduction is not sandblasted, so that the transparent skin of the new construction opens itself in the same areas as the original. The architectural construction of the reproduction is made up out of concrete and steel. Because of a too short work period, details have unfortunately not been developed yet. The plan of the mirrored IJsselhotel will mainly coincide with the plan of the (restored) IJsselhotel.

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Nr.3 (right side view): The IJsselhotel is restored to its 19th century state. Then a penthouse in the shape of a crashed helicopter is introduced in the existing structure. By introducing this contrast the historical character of the IJsselhotel stays intact. The penthouse has undergone a slight enlargement in respect to the helicopter after which the penthouse was modelled, to create a better functioning space. The total amount of space which is won with this design is minimal and as a result the building may no longer be profitable as a hotel in this design. However, the attraction value of this design compensates largely for this lack of functionality. The building could possibly get another function.