The People of Geuzenhof

Gerlinde Schuller

The exhibition highlights the social and green heritage of the Geuzenhof, a nearly 100-year-old residential complex in Amsterdam (NL). Meet the pioneers, residents, and experts working together toward a sustainable future, and discover how historical insights inspire solutions to contemporary challenges in sustainable building and community living.

The Geuzenhof residential complex in Amsterdam-West was designed with a social vision, addressing a question that remains relevant today: how can we build in a way that is both green and socially inclusive?

My web publication The Story of Geuzenhof detailed the development of this former social housing complex and connects it to contemporary challenges.

The exhibition The People of Geuzenhof complements this publication by highlighting the creators, residents, and experts who keep the heritage of Geuzenhof alive.

On a large scale, the story revolves around making the landscape productive, urban expansions, social-green building experiments, the preservation of green spaces and architectural heritage, and the active participation of residents – past, present, and future.

Starring: building contractor Huibert van Saane, urban planners Cornelis van Eesteren and Jakoba Mulder, architects Jacob Dunnebier and Johannes F. Berghoef, landscape architect Mien Ruys, and industrial designer Piet Zwart. The story details how these young pioneers in their fields realized Geuzenhof, a groundbreaking project in their careers.

The exhibition then zooms in on the residents and those who have helped or continue to help future-proof the social and green heritage of Geuzenhof. In this way, my research advocates for collective authorship in the creation of urban and landscape architectural sites, emphasizing the involvement of a wide network of diverse actors.

EXHIBITION ON VIEW
The exhibition The People of Geuzenhof is on view at:

Rotterdam Architecture Month
June 1-31, 2025

Arcam, Architecture Centre Amsterdam
February 6-April 6, 2025

The opening at Arcam was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Urban Social Green’, with participants including Melanie van der Horst, Alderman for Public Space and Green for the City of Amsterdam, architect Marc Reniers, and data journalist Gerlinde Schuller.

LECTURES AND CITY TOURS
The exhibitions are accompanied by lectures and city tours.

BOOK
This exhibition is part of my long-term research on Social Green, which I will eventually translate into a book.

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