International Zone The Hague
In the International Zone of the Hague, the juxtaposition of large structures appears to have gradually subtracted the site from the rest of the city. In fact, the poor quality of the public space as well as its scarcity has turned this archipelago of international organisations into a colossal autarkic island that neighbouring residents prefer to bypass rather than traverse.
As it seems no longer possible to bring this site back into the fold of the conventional city - the scale of the buildings, the specificity of their functions being by essence unconventional - we propose to fully embrace the exceptional nature of the site and push it to the limit.
In place of the current aggregate of autonomous entities with each their own fence, their own parking, their own security, we advocate for the realisation of a true campus where some of the supporting infrastructure is shared and the entire perimeter is secured.
We propose a fantasy landscape traversed by strategic public routes. Landscape would be used as a common denominator, a unifier. But not just any landscape and certainly not a landscape one might expect in the middle of the city.
Audacious. Bold. Radical. So that the design of the open space supersedes prosaic logistical requirements, not the other way around. We aim to create a visually seamless and coherent landscape where boundaries between public and private are integrated without being overwhelmingly apparent.
NoRA
NoRA (Network of Research & Architecture) is an international Architecture and Planning practice based in Rotterdam that celebrates & thoughtfully integrates Research, Experimentation and Design. As a collective of entrepreneurs, thinkers and creatives, NoRA’s goal is to use design as a tool for advancing the modern Polis in a holistic approach.
NoRA was founded in 2017 by Kaveh Dabiri, Keigo Kobayashi and Selma Maaroufi.