The garden is a process –
Geuzenhof 1, a communal garden by Mien Ruys
I am in the course of initiating a research project on the development process of the Geuzenhof 1 garden (8500 m2) in Amsterdam (NL). Both the housing complex and the garden are community monuments. In 2018 the residents initiated the redevelopment of the garden that is realised in 2022-2023.
At the beginning of Geuzenhof 1 stood a collaboration of well-known creative and socially engaged personalities, including urban planners Cornelis van Eesteren and Jakoba Mulder, building contractor Huibert van Saane, architect Jacob Dunnebier, garden architect Mien Ruys and industrial designer Piet Zwart. This process line now includes Copijn Utrecht. Copijn who themselves have a long history in the field of landscape architecture created the plans for the redevelopment of the garden.
The Geuzenhof 1 garden was designed in 1933 by internationally renowned Dutch garden architect Wilhelmina Jacoba (Mien) Ruys (1904-1999). Geuzenhof 1 was Mien Ruys first social housing project.
Through Geuzenhof 1, 100 years of Dutch history can be experienced. It is a cosmos that reflects political, urban development and social changes and illustrates the creation of green projects in the city. The complex and garden offer an accumulation of a number of current topics: urban planning, social housing concepts, (garden) architecture, preservation of cultural, green heritage and citizen participation.
Follow the redevelopment of the garden on Instagram
