Sašo Blaževski

GLASS ROOFED STREETS

________________________________________________________________

Faculty of Architecture

Master of Science Course 2000-2002

Module MSc 2

Society, Social Processes, Spatial Planning and Land Use

and Urban Design

GLASS ROOFED STREETS

RESEARCH REPORT

MSc Student

2
 Sašo Blaževski
________________________________________________________________
Colofon

Glass Roofed Streets

Research Report
Sašo Blaževski

Faculty of Architecture,
TU Delft

December 2000

3
Front cover is Passage photographed with fish- eye lens. Source: Geist J. F. Passagen ein Bautyp des 19.
Jahrhunderts.
Summary

This report contains information on the phenomena of Passages and Urban

Design project for Colhaven area.

Main subject of interest is the relevance of the chosen type of public space for
the Coolhaven area- the Crystal Squares. They are inspired and derived from the
concept of Passages.

The Passages are defined as glass covered streets in the historical centers of
the city that connect two bigger shopping streets. Today the concept of Passages
is evident in the contemporary shopping center and malls.

Coolhaven area was subject of analysis and urban design project in the module
Renewal and redesign of city areas. The area was identified as devastated and a
renewal approach was necessary in order to improve its condition. Amongst
other, there was problem of giving new meaning to the public spaces inside
existing area and improving the connection across Weszeedijk with the new
designed part. The problems of better connection across Weszeedijk were
attempt to be solved by introducing the Crystal Squares.

These covered streets start from the public space inside existing part of
Coolhaven and run across Westzeedijk to the new designed ones.

At the beginning the decision to implement these type of space seemed to be the
right one. However, after more detailed overview on the Passages which were
the initial point of developing the concept of Crystal Squares, it becomes clear
that the concept is not applicable for the area of Coolhaven, at least not at the
very beginning of renewal process.

Finally, the design is characterized as an example study how would the approach
derived from Passages look like at the site and what influence would it have to
existing surrounding.

The suggestion for the future would be that this concept remains open for the
case of very prosperous and economically strengthen Coolhaven.

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Content
________________________________________________________________________

Summary

Forward………………………………………………………………………………. 6

Introduction………………………………………………………………………….. 7

Passages

Definition………………………………………………………………………………. 9
Origins…………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Typology………………………………………………………………………………. 10
Passages in The Netherlands………………………………………………………. 14

Coolhaven

Existing situation……………………………………………………………………. 17
Suggested design…………………………………………………………………… 19

Evaluation

Results……………………………………………………………………………….. 22
Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………. 23
Discussion…………………………………………………………………………… 25

Bibliography

Appendixes

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Forward

In the MSc Module 2- Society, Social Processes, Spatial Planning and Land Use
and Urban Design, a research in the municipality of Rotterdam was carried out.
The research took time in the last four weeks from the total seven weeks that
module lasted.

First three weeks of the module were reserved for different lectures on the topics
of Urban Trends, Data Analysis, Internet Infrastructure, ICT and Urban Form,
Urban Law, History and European Development. These lectures were data basis
for accumulating knowledge on the topic of the module.

The aim of the research was to be a training exercise for the research process
and composing a report as well as for enlightening of the subject that was
chosen to be explored.

The research itself consisted of consulting number of authors and books, experts
and study visit at the site. Collected information was analyzed and processed by
the author of this report.

During the research I had number of conversations and consulting regarding the
methodology and approach to the problem with dr. Edward D. Hulsbergen from
Department of Spatial Planning at the Faculty of Architecture and I find his
suggestions most helpful while making this report.

Sašo Blaževski

6
Introduction

In the MSc Module 1 Renewal and Redesign of City Areas there was a case
study for the area of Coolhaven in Rotterdam. The end of the study was an urban
design project that was supposed to resolve the problems in the explored area.
One of the key issues in the design was establishing better connection between
the existing part of the location and the new designed one. Weszeedijk divided
those two parts. It is an important dyke with origins far in the past and today it is
important street for the city of Rotterdam.

In the design suggested by the author of this report this connection was
established by introducing new architectural elements at the site- The Crystal
Squares.

Crystal Squares are glass covered voids in the existing urban fabric. They might
be streets, parks or squares. They start deep in the existing part of location,
intersect Westzeedijk and end deep into the new designed part at south end.
Also, they are used on Weszeedijk to improve the connection between the voids
along it. Passages were inspiration for this type of organizing the space.

When the design was finished and presented, certain suspicion appeared
regarding the choice of this type of space to be used for this particular urban
case. That was provocative enough to make a research if the decision was good
or not.

First step was to enlighten the phenomena of Passages by defining them,

exploring their origins, typology and trying to find examples in The Netherlands.
This concerns both in the past and present times. The presentation is supported
with many illustrations.

Second step was to present the case study for Coolhaven. That meant
presenting actual situation at the site of Coolhaven and defining the problems
that were to be solved by the design. Presentation of the suggested design is
also part of this step.

Third step of the research was Evaluation. It is list and overview on the
important information as results after the first two steps. These information
concerns the character of the two urban phenomena that are explored and
results are presented in a table format. At the end of this step, by comparing the
results, conclusions were derived.

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The Report ends with discussion on the meaning and possible role of the
suggested design for future time.

8
 Passages
Definition

In order to introduce the meaning of the word “Passage” I will paraphrase the
definition used by Geinst F. J. who says:1

…The name passage is used to describe space that is in between two streets
and connects them. This space is covered with glass roof. At ground floor there
are rows of shops and on the upper floors there might be other functions housed
like offices or housing apartments.

These spaces and shops inside them are rented by private investors. Their main
advantages are weather protection against rain or cold and they are in the
pedestrian area of the city. Motor vehicles are not allowed to enter inside the
passage. These facts result with good profit for the investors who have rented a
shop inside certain passage.

There are speculations claiming that in order to insure good functioning of a

certain passage, it should be in the urban context between two main shopping
streets. Shopping streets that are visited by many customers.

The passage is a building with its own territory and landowners although they
represent the illusion between interior and exterior space…

One can comment the last part of the definition regarding landowners and the
territory that passage occupies. It does not take overall the cases of additional
filling of urban voids- like inner courtyards of perimeter blocks or simple roof
covering of any shopping street that consists expensive shops, whose owners
can afford more commodities for their customers.

In the first case, the passage (or any building erected in this way) would be result
of fight for higher density in terms of Floor Area Ratio and the former owners of
the courtyard probably will not get anything out of it.

The second case would be a private initiative for protection against the weather,
so not on purpose the passage was form. Again, the street that was roof covered
remains a public property and not a property of the ones who built the roof.

1 Geist F. J. 1969, Passagen ein Bautyp des 19. Jahrhunderts; p.12; chapter “Definition”
9
However, the definition explains very well the meaning of the passages in terms
of their practical economical issue.

Origins

The main reason of appearance of passages in the history is the need on forming
public space that would have higher level of commodity and security. Probably
their origins should be traced in the resolving climate problems on the open-air
markets. The people who offered their goods needed to arrange conditions as
good as possible for their customers in order to attract them to visit the bazaar.

Fez, covered market (Geist, 1969, p. 45)

The people who offered their goods needed to arrange conditions as good as
possible for their customers in order to attract them to visit the bazaar.

At the beginning there were improvised constructions just in a case of emergency

that in the future would be replaced with a regular, permanent ones.

During the history the concept of covering the streets developed and people
started thinking of applying it from the very beginning of the building erection.
That was second step of introducing higher level of security in the markets.

10
The first step was building closed bazaars in the fourteenth and fifteenth century.
Closed bazaars were places where expensive goods were offered on sale.
People needed to arrange space that would be secure out of working hours so
they do not have to collect all their goods and store them in another place every
single day.

Closed bazaars are introvert buildings that differ very much in scale. They can be
very small with one or two inner streets or they can occupy bigger area like one
block or more. During the working hours entrances are controlled which kind of
customers enter in. In the evening gates are closed and the place is safe.

Some of these bazaars have no roof above the streets and they are open.
However, by the time it became very normal to build the bazaars covered with
roofs. These places became very attractive and their price went up.

Good example for this kind of markets is the big covered market in Istanbul. The
market has its origins more then 500 years in the past. It expanded step by step,
changing itself by time. Today it is a labyrinth of smaller and bigger streets,
covered with arches and domes, ornamented walls and shops full with the most
different goods. In this place even citizens from Istanbul lost their way easily
while looking for something specific. It is a big tourist attraction and the turn over
per year is considered to be at the level of the world burses. 2

2 There is a story about the price of shops in Kapali Carsi- the big covered bazaar in Istanbul. The story says
that price per square meter is not expressed in any of the world currencies, but in kilograms of gold.
11
 Istanbul, The big covered market (Geist, 1969, p. 44)

In Europe Passages occupied the shopping part of the central areas since those
were the most attractive and expensive part in the city. But the phenomena
achieved it very high level of using at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning
of the twentieth century. In that time every singe meter in the central areas was
exploited in the fight for more profit and better position for selling goods.3

Typology of passages

There are different types of passages. Johann Friedrich Geist divides them into
several groups- according to factors and elements that influent their outlook. 4
Main subject of interest is the physical structure, morphology or modeling of the
passages and their relationship with the actual surroundings.

Passages are derived from the urban fabric and dependency on it can be
illustrate according to these constitutional elements:

• According to the type of space,

• According to their appearance on the façade, and
• According to their cross section.

The author continues analyzing the different types of passages from other
aspects, but these three groups will serve the purpose to illustrate wide palette of
this urban phenomena. The following diagrams are derived from those analyses.

3 That was the time when the inner space of the urban block was filling with more buildings and the housing
standards were not paid enough attention. Western Europe spent years after this period to recover the fabric
and to improve the urban and housing standards.

4 Same like 1 p.14- 19

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Diagrams showing different types of space that
forms the passages (inspired from Geist,1969 p. 14)

According to the type of space, passages have number of different forms.

They can occupy space that is parallel to the street or perpendicular to it. In
terms of their position in the urban block, they can be at its center or to gravitate
to its sides. In terms of the depth, passages can penetrate more or less or they
can even connect the opposite sides of it.

Inner space has different variations as result of the actual borders formed by the
exciting buildings.

That is how rectangular, polygon or oval voids are formed. The complexity is
even to the level of inner nets or grids like inner urban patterns with their own
identity. Those voids may be the space left after building were erected and are
result of it, or especially designed if passage was built at same time when the
block was. By covering those spaces or constructing them, passages have a new
meaning- they become integral part of the building structure (of the solids) and
the movement layout of the urban fabric.

Interesting is the treatment of the corners when diagonal rout is the one that
passages occupy. In those cases the passages are the elements that give the
both streets at the corner equal treatment; they act like joining element and
compromise the “sharp” right corner. In the same time the entrances in the
passages have the best possible position that is necessary for their economical
character. In this way entrances are visible from the both sides and the number
of customers that are attract is higher.

13
In the cases where passages could not occupy the corner position, they gravitate
to the end of the block to be as near to the corner as possible.

Diagrams showing different appearance of the pa-

ssages on the façade of the block (inspired from
Geist,1969 p. 14)

According to their appearance on the façade, passages reflect their actual

position in the urban block but not always the size of the street they cover or the
space they form inside.

Their width ness differs from very narrow façade to half or more then half façade
of the total lengthen of the block’s elevation. There are cases where passage
actually tangents the block from one of its sides and occupies the full lengthen of
the elevation or occupies significant part from the both sides when a corner is the
matter. At that point is hard to recognize the passage on its basic form but it looks
more like a block or a building in the block. Opposite variant is when the passage
does not appear on the blocks elevation at all, but it is hidden inside it and
elevation is just an entrance to the surprise waiting behind the casual street line.

Very interesting are the two cases of symmetry; the one that divides the block on
the left and right wing and the one that forms its corners.

Being at the central position on the long continuous elevation is not a big
advantage; because of the continuous module rhythm that sometimes affects
lack of interest to the pedestrians. Passages are very successful approach in
order to break the long continuous elevation line that is very much evident in the

14
traditional, thick center areas. They provide change of movement and opportunity
to enter “inside” the elevation wall- actually in the block.

The corner case façade has similar implication like the corner formed and
occupied space. At this point of discussion one could just add that the treatment
of the corner is opposite of the modernistic one that does not emphasize a
convex corner.5 The passages do exactly it- they support the corner in the
organization of the space and the treatment of the façade.

Diagrams of cross section’s dependence on the

height of buildings that form the passage (inspired
from Geist,1969 p. 14)

According to their cross section, passages depend on the section of the urban
block in which they are inbuilt.

Sometimes they are just a hole in the solid without any contact with sunlight or
they can provide it via beautiful domes. With the growth of the height of the
buildings it is possible to enrich their program.

Where possible the cross section becomes wider as going to the upper floors
that provides the ground floor with daylight and allows forming galleries on each
of inner sides of the block. This concept is exploited very much in designing the
shopping centers and malls. Similar way of organizing the inner public space is
used in the schools or other public buildings that use an inner street for
distribution of users. The advantage of forming galleries is that the building is
used on all of its levels, provides enough daylight to the lowest levels in the
passage and provides good visual contact in the space as a whole. If the case is

5 The modernistic interventions in thick city center fabric support the approach of releasing the corner into
free space to have wider visual contact with surrounding and it is opposite of pointing the urban corner’s
detail derived from more classical and academic concepts. Modernistic corners are concave.
15
a building with service or other commercial function this treatment of cross
section is vital in organizing attractive space and maximum use of it.

In the cases where it was not possible to widen the cross section of the block,
passages are just roof covered and the high inner streets are formed. The aim is
achieved in the means of forming space that is protected from weather conditions
and well controlled. Sometimes this way of forming passages seems to be very
technical. But, it is practical, too because it serves the purpose and meets
demands on the shop owners and customers.

However, very dynamic space is formed this way and the users are concentrate
to the shopping windows not having very much visual contact with the upper part
of the cross section.

1 542 7 6 3

1 Paris, Gallery Vivienne, 1825

2 Paris, Gallery Colbert, 1826
3 Mailand, Gallery Vittorio Emanuele, 1867
4 Berlin, Kaisergalerie, 1873
5 Den Haag, Passage, 1885
6 Neapel, Gallery Umberto I. 1891
7 Berlin, Friedrichstrasenpassage, 1908

(Geist,1969 p. 22)

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Passages differ on the scale of the cross section, as well. The superimposed
cross sections are in the same scale and present different examples that were
built in the nineteenth century or the beginning of the twentieth.

Existing streets and buildings were the basis of forming passages in that time
and aesthetics is derived out of them. The profiling of the sidewalls is result of
that aesthetics.

Those profiles divide the height into smaller parts following the scale of the floors
in the building and they reduce the impression of very high space. These profiles
enrich the plastic of the surface, which was very common way of detailing at that
time.

The proportion in the height and width spreads from the narrow but high one, like
Passage in The Hague is, to the wide but low ceiling one, like Gallery Colbert in
Paris is.

At the end of the typology overview one can realize the wide range of forms,
dimensions, dynamics and purpose that passages in the urban fabric can
introduce. Their reflection and influence on the city landscape and outlook is
important because they are an urban phenomenon that introduces different
treatment of the streets.6
The distinction between indoor and outdoor public space reduces its relevance
when passages are in question. The space simply overlaps and lets users enjoy
the excitement of changing light, sounds and atmosphere.7
Passages in The Netherlands

6 Paris has wonderful collection of passages. See Appendix 1.

7 Photographs from some of the galleries analyzed above can be found in the Appendix 2
17
 1

1 The Hague, Passage, situation in 1900,

2 The Hague, Passage, situation in 1966.

(Geist,1969 p. 174)

The concept of Passages is not new or unfamiliar in The Netherlands. Like in

most of the European cities, these types of spaces can be found in the old city

18
centers. These reminiscences from the past are integral part of today’s
pedestrians zone.

The Passage in The Hague is an example how of the concept. In situation from
1900, the Passage connects three streets and in 1966 it bifurcates more. All the
inner streets meet each other in the central inner square.

From formal aspect, this example introduces a correction of the existing building
line. On the illustration 1 it is evident that after designing the Passage, the broken
line of facades changes into strait one and the location (or space) that Passage
occupies is the one that is “left” after this correction.

The illustration 2 is from the year 1966, when the third branch of Passage was
added. Very important change in layout is introducing the new wide street that
runs near Binnenhof (upper right corner of the illustrations). The third branch is
result of development of the surrounding urban fabric.

This is a beautiful example how introducing and developing of the Passage’s

concept in the historical city center depends on the actual situation of
surrounding. It is a con-sequence derived from the wider surrounding.

Today, after a hundred years since it was built, the Passage in The Hague is still
one of the most attractive places in the city center.

19
 3

3 Rotterdam, Passage, situation 1940,

(Geist,1969 p. 298)
4 Scheveningen, Palace Promenade,
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Another example is the Passage in Rotterdam, which layout is presented on
illustration 3. The situation is from the year 1940.

This is an example that illustrates the best definition of Passages. It connects two
shopping streets, also shaped as a result of filling the voids between broken
façade lines of the existing situation.

Illustration 4 and 5 are examples of contemporary use of the concept in

Scheveningen an Almeer, consequently.

The first one is a complex designed at the west coast in the tourist leisure place
of Scheveningen and the second one is in the center of Almeer. Both of them are
newly designed and planned in the same time with their surrounding.

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 Coolhaven
Existing situation

Coolhaven is in the wider central area of Rotterdam. Its urban fabric has certain
morphological qualities but the area itself is considered to be not in a very good

22
functioning condition. Most of the urban blocks are complete but the quality
standards are not at very high level. People that live there are faced with the
problem of mono functional zoning, mainly occupied with housing.

The public space is organized in small squares and green areas, streets,
pavements and inner courtyards of the urban blocks. The whole area is divided in
two parts with the street Weestzedijk.

The part north of the street is the one with housing and the part on the south is
former port area that is still to be developed into fine urban pattern as a part of
the city. When observing the area as a whole, main physical problem is the
border that Westzeedijk forms between the two parts. Not only it presents a
physical barrier, but also the profile of this street is from the high speed that
distributes traffic in wider territory of the city of Rotterdam. 8

Map of the site showing the location of places where intervention

should take place.

Legend:

1 is an important cross road with the long Hemraadsingel axis.

2 and 3 are inner small squares on the site.
4 is a cross road with the old axis of Westzeedijk.

All public space in the area is not used very much although the main points of
gravitation are situated well. In the phase of analysis of Coolhaven area these
points from the urban net were identified as potential but not treated as good as
possible. Their potential is result of the position they occupy in the urban tissue
and their morphology.

8 Westzeedijk is a dyke that protects the area against flood and the level on its north part is lower than on
the south one so visual contact is very much reduced.
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 1

Morphology details of the places of

intervention

1 Crossroad.
2 and 3 Focuses of radial concen-
tric streets.
4 The crossroad with Weszeedijk.

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The crossroad on drawing 1 is a part of a grid system and for Coolhaven it has
meaning like Kardo and Dekumanus streets in the ancient Roman cities.

According Roger Trancik’s typology of urban voids, places 2 and 3 are radial
concentric.9 Which means they are focused in a certain point and movement is
directed that way.

This collection of spaces ends with the old Weszeedijk axis and intersects with it
(drawing 4).

In the existing situation these places are not different then any other at the
location. Their potential becomes obvious when trying to connect the existing
neighborhood with the new designed part on the south side of Westzeedijk.
These four places collect people. At these places people have opportunity to
choose their next direction of movement or to stop for a while if there is a subject
of interest.

However, the existing situation does not offer wide range of choices or subjects
of interest.

In the Appendix 3 there are photographs that illustrate the actual situation at the
site.

Main question to answer was:

-How can these places become more attractive so that people will use the
maximum out of them?

The suggested answer was an urban design layout that treats the existing
neighborhood and new designed area south from Westzeedijk as a whole.

Suggested design

Suggested answer was urban design proposal, introducing of new functions at

the location in general, that would eliminate the mono functional layout (mainly
housing). The new functions should give economical input to the inhabitants and

9 Trancik R. Finding lost space, p. 97, chapter Three Theories of Urban Spatial Design and p. 101, figures
4-5
25
improve their living surrounding. Main type of new functions was suggested to be
services like restaurants, shops and other commercial businesses. Potential
customers would be inhabitants from the new designed area, from Coolhaven
and its surrounding.10

Besides introduction of new functions, there were new architectural elements that
were suggested in order to give new meaning to the places listed before.

Design layout for Coolhaven area presenting the new designed urban blocks on the south side of
Westzeedijk and connections with the existing part.11

The places listed in the chapter Existing situation became entrances into covered
streets, which I named “Crystal Squares”.12 The concept is inspired and derived
from the concept of passages. These streets are the main link elements between
existing area of Coolhaven and the new designed part.

The decision to make covered streets was made because of the quality that
these type of spaces offer. Users are in public outdoor space but in the same
time protected against weather. The charm of the place is even bigger

10 The functions that are suggested above are just in general. Programming functions for certain area is
complex matter that needs experts from various fields and it is a study by itself.

11 In Appendix 4 there are more illustrations from the suggested design.

12The name is inspired from Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace, built 1851 in London, moved 1852 in
Sydenham and burnt 1936. Source: http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Crystal_Palace.html
26
considering the fact that existing buildings are kept and the feeling of being in city
is enhanced. That is different comparing with the covered public spaces in the
new big shopping malls or high main halls at railway stations or other types of
public buildings.

Conceptual model, that shows the movement, connections and places of gravitation where
Crystal Squares were suggested.

By making this choice, two good effects should take place at the spots:

Firstly, the space would get higher quality standards and users would have
opportunity to exploit to its maximum, and
Secondly, by introducing this kind of urban design the linkage between two
separate parts of the location (south and north of Westzeedijk) would be stronger
and more intensive.
27
In this kind of use, passages are not only short cuts between two or more streets,
but they act as gate zones between the two parts of the location. Their role
becomes even more important along Weszeedijk where they join (connect) the
independent separate spaces from the new designed pattern. Finally, as they
penetrate deep into the existing neighborhood to collect or distribute pedestrians
in both ways, they bifurcate in the new designed part with the same intensity and
role.

28
 Evaluation
Results

Passages have long history and development. Their main role was to increase
the quality of the space, especially in the central areas of the cities and in the
shopping streets. The shops inside of passages are usually expensive and luxury
today. In a way, passages are result of developing the concepts how can the
price of the land in certain area become higher by implementation of the qualities
like weather protection, safety of the shops or better controlled space.

29
 1

Wakefield, The Shopping Center Ridings.

1 Lowest level in the Shopping Center,

2 Restaurant at the top of the Shopping
Center.
(Michael, 1986, p.85)

The old passages that were built at the end of nineteenth century and in the
beginning of the twentieth are today’s main target for tourists and visitors in the
old parts of European cities. Passages became urban monuments and hardly
can any citizen recognize them in the new way of using in contemporary
architecture. Probably only architects can recognize the concept and its origins.
To pedestrians it is just new designed covered street.

Today, the application of this concept is evident into inner streets in the shopping
malls or shopping arcades.

30
In his book “Design in the High Street”, Gordon Michael offers numbers of
examples from contemporary architecture in Great Britain illustrating the
phenomena of the thick city centers with narrow streets and shops. Amongst
them, there are examples showing the use of the concept of Passages in the
inner streets in the shopping malls. The illustrations on the left show the resolving
of the daylight in the shopping center Ridings in Wakefield.

The design of the space is inspired from the glass covered passages and
commercial functions are implemented inside.

In the design for Coolhaven crystal squares achieved the goal of establishing
better connection between the physically separated parts across Westzeedijk
and the ones along it. In terms of functions they should host, question remained
open for discussion.

After performed research on the phenomena of Passages and presentation of

the suggested design layout for Coolhaven area, the following information can be
listed to explain the two subjects of analysis:

Type of analysis Passages Crystal Squares

Derived from the medieval

concept of roof covered Inspired and derived from
Origins market places Passages

Morphology depended on the Urban voids that are adapted

urban pattern where passages into glass roofed and walled
Morphology are implemented spaces

Connecting two or more Connecting the blocks south

shopping streets via shortcut and north side of Westzeedijk
Function that consists of row of shops with no specific program

Always in the main shopping In Coolhaven

Location area of historical centers

Urban monuments in historical

centers and in the shopping In suggested design for
Appearance in today malls as distribution space Coolhaven area

Table overview on Passages and Crystal Squares’ results.

31
Conclusions

The following conclusions can de derived from the overview on the Passages
and The design suggestion for Coolhaven:

• The Passages and Crystal squares are not same urban phenomenon,
although the second ones are inspired and derived from the first ones,
• They have similar morphological character,
• However, they do not overlap each other in a way that can be switched,
• Both of them offer better space quality,

But also:

• Passages are almost always found in the shopping streets and inner
central areas of the city. Today they are used in the shopping malls.
• Coolhaven is very near the city center of Rotterdam and physically it can
be considered as a part of Rotterdam’s wider center.
• Still, it does not have strong economical background and the main use of
the land is housing. It is almost opposite case from the place where
passages can be found.

Finally:

Crystal squares maybe offer some quality and resolve problems on improving
connections across Westzeedijk, but they do not offer choices to many demands
of the regeneration approach to the location. In the design they have been
treated only as an architectural elements and there was no deeper analysis on
32
the influence they would have on the economical and functional aspect of the
location.

Also, at few positions they affect the existing area in a negative way, especially
on Hemraadsingel axis. By redesigning the south part of the street in a roof
covered public space the identity of the existing street might be lost.
Hemraadsingel is a long axis that does not recognize this urban pattern and it
should end with an attractor like key building or a monument. 13

In a way, the approach was not appropriate. The typology of space that was
suggested is a consequence of the urban and economical level of development
in a certain area. It can not be used as a generator, but as a tool that would
upgrade the existing situation. Passages and similar urban space types are not a
magic stick, but an assistance device in enhancing certain positive attributes that
explored area offers.
Discussion

At this point one can realize the difference between Passages and Crystal
Squares and the way they have been used:

• The first ones, presented in history and present times on different

locations and in different ways of use,
• The second ones introduced in the case of Coolhaven.

Also it became clear that the choice of this typology of space for Coolhaven is not
the best solution to the task it presents. However, at least the design showed
how would the solution to the problem of Coolhaven look like if applying the
concepts derived from Passages and this research proved that it is not very
appropriate approach.

On question:

- How can the suggested design be used if not for resolving the actual problems?

One can suggest the following:

The possibility to use Crystal Squares approach remains open for scenario of
extremely popular and very high economical progress of Coolhaven area. In that
case approach would be similar like using the concept of Passages in the today’s
shopping malls. Also, the concept would be logical upgrade of the spatial
qualities that area would offer.

13Busquets J. Urbanism at the turn of the century. Chapter Various approaches and lines of work. Key
buildings with urban synergies.
33
While working on this research, two questions were not elaborated:

1. If Passages from past that were introduced in the centers of the cities
were very much successful, how comes that there are no new adaptations
in the existing historical centers? Adaptations in a way of establishing the
shortcuts between two shopping streets via Passage.
2. Are today’s inner streets and squares with places for rest or fast food
restaurants in the shopping malls as much successful as Passages?

Bibliography

Busquets J. Urbanism at the turn of the century

Cartwright M. R. (1980), The Design of Urban Space. The Architectural Press

Ltd: London

Geist F.J. (1969), Passagen ein Bautyp des 19. Jahrhunderts (Passages- a
building type from 19th Century). Prestel – Verlag Munchen

Hulsbergen E. and P. Stouten Urban Renewal and Regeneration in The

Netherlands: Integration Lost or Subordinate? (To be published)

Hulsbergen E. and Schaaf van der P. (2000), Ex Ante Research

Hulsbergen E. D. (2000), Research by Design: The Importance of Spatial

Planning Cycle. Department of Spatial Planning, Faculty of Architecture, TU Delft
(To be published in the proceeder of Research by Design; TU Delft)

MacKeith M. (1985), Shopping Arcades: a gazetteer of extant British arcades,

1817- 1939. Mansell Publishing Limited London and New York

Mare de H. and A. Vos (1993), Urban Rituals in Italy and The Netherlands. Van
Gorcum, Assen

34
Michell G. (1986), Design in The High Street. The Architectural Press: London

Niederwohreier K.H. and Niederwohreier H. (1986), Neue Glasspassagen.

Heinrich Koch, Tubingen

Roberts P. and H. Sykes (2000), Urban Reeneration. SAGE Publications Ltd.

London

Schefold H.M. (1972), Transparenz und Masse Passagen und Hallen aus Eisen
und Glass 1800-1880 Verlaag M. DuMont Schauberg

Trancik R. Finding Lost Space

Web site: Great Buildings, http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/

Crystal_Palace.html

35
 Appendixes
Appendix 1

36
Map of the Passages in Paris

37
Series of Passages in Paris:
Passage des Panoramas,
Passage Jouffroy, and
Passage Verdeau.

These passages have significant contribution in forming the urban pattern of the
surrounding.
Appendix 2

38
Paris, Gallery Vivien, 1825

39
Mailand, Gallery Vittorio Emanuele, 1867

40
41
Berlin, Kaisergalerie, 1873

42
Neapel, Gallery Umberto, 1891

43
 Berlin, Friedrichstrasenpassage, 1908
Appendix 3

1 2

3 4

5 6

44
 Photographs from Coolhaven site

Appendix 4

Design layout at pedestrians level

45
Photograph from the model

46