Transformation "Het Zuiden" by Studio Christine Jetten

PROJECT INFORMATION

The 1924 building, known to many residents of Den Bosch as "Het Zuiden," owes its nickname to the photo shop that was located there for many years. In the 1960s, the building was given a modern makeover with marble and new windowframes. When this marble was later painted over and partially replaced with plywood, a tired facade remained, its original quality barely discernible.

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Design process

A bronze glaze has been developed that matches the existing brickwork in terms of texture and vibrancy, without imitating it.

The composition of this glaze is specifically tailored to the building's location on a street corner, where sunlight is abundant. The late afternoon sun and the setting sun, in particular, illuminate the glazed strip above the window frames and the cornice, allowing the facadedetail to change in character throughout the day.

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The result is a building that doesn't hark back to 1924 or remains stuck in the 1960s, but visibly demonstrates that it has been approached with care, craft, and conviction in this day and age. A natural enrichment of the built environment of Den Bosch.

Miel Wijnen

Architect

I've once again experienced clearly how important the atmosphere in the streetscape is to the city's residents, by their responses.

History is still manifesting itself in the streetscape, where old and new blend together. Because a building is part of the community, its attractiveness contributes to its longevity and that of the surrounding environment. The twenty-meter-long strip above the shop windows has been brightened up with 2,000 handmade tiles, based on my design, at Cor Unum in Den Bosch. I hand-glazed over 3,000 brick slips to achieve the desired effect. This carefully restored the building's plinth.