SYSTEMS OF STEEL by Rademacher de Vries Architecten & MUST Stedebouw

The port complex between Amsterdam and IJmuiden is still firmly rooted in the fossil-fuel era. It is, for example, the world's largest petrol port, while Tata Steel's steelworks is one of the largest energy consumers and polluters in the Netherlands. Petrol has no place in a circular port, but steel does. It is therefore entirely conceivable that the existing 4.5 million cubic metres of petrol storage capacity could make way for a large-scale circular steel cluster, well connected to the European hinterland via the Maas and Rhine rivers.

However, this systemic transformation of the production chain cannot take place without a simultaneous cultural shift among designers and builders, from architecture to the automotive industry. Purely circular steel can only be produced if the steel scrap is clean and uncontaminated. This means that designers must use only pure steel products that can be easily disassembled. Inevitably, this will lead to a new aesthetic, particularly if the reuse of existing steel structures also becomes common practice. The design of the circular bridge in the North Sea Canal area demonstrates in concrete terms the potential of this approach and the opportunities for collaboration.

SYSTEMS OF STEEL therefore advocates strong new connections between design, production, application, collection and reuse. Otherwise, steel production in Northwestern Europe risks collapsing like a house of cards during the transition to a circular economy, while Europe's strategic autonomy with regard to one of the construction industry's most critical raw materials will come under increasing pressure.

Rademacher de Vries Architecten is a multidisciplinary design and research studio working at the intersection of architecture, urban planning, and landscape. We see the built environment as a dynamic system where spatial and societal challenges come together. Our ambition is to transform existing places into meaningful, sustainable, and adaptive environments that connect people to each other and to their context.

MUST creates space for a new era. We are designers, researchers, thinkers, consultants and writers with a discerning eye and a personal approach. Curiosity is our main driving force; our ability to connect is our greatest strength. In every project, we draw on all our knowledge and experience to inspire and activate people. Our goal? To create space for a new era: to make places where the wellbeing of plants, animals and people comes first.

Film: Sabine van der Vooren
Original composition: Thomas Fauc

Credits:
Van Ee Staalspecialisten, Breed integrated design, Knipscheer Infrastructuur (hoofdaannnemer circulaire brug), Gemeente Amsterdam, College van Rijksbouwmeester en Rijksadviseurs.