‘TRACES IN TIME’ –

This study is part of a wide-ranging research into the historical, social and architectural transformations of a building block in the neighborhood Transvaal in Amsterdam. The block was built in 1927 and therefore went through all the relevant social developments of Amsterdam in the 20th century on micro-scale.

In general, the genesis and transformation of buildings and cities are described and explained from a specific perspective; historical, social, economic or spatial. However the main goal of this research is to reconstruct the biography of a specific part of the city within the interactions of time, action, memory and place. Starting from this perspective the study combines various themes, in which we seek to reconstruct the spatial and social development of housing in Amsterdam on micro-scale, thus on scale of the block, street, house and interior.

The study discusses the changes in ownership of buildings, houses and plots, the typologies of housing, the architectural composition, institutional rules, the relationship between architecture and place and the memories of residents and socio-demographic data of residents that have lived or are still living within the block. This last theme, defined by the period 1993 – 2008 is the central subject of the study ‘Traces in time’. During the study, the obtained socio-demographic data has been processed in tables and graphics, from which events and developments within the block could be read and thereby conclusions on the researched period and street be drawn.

 

For the full report of the study ‘Traces in Time’ please click here

For the essay ‘Microhistory of the Modern City’ please click here