The urbs and polis starts by being an empty space, the forum, the agora, and all the rest are just a means of fixing that empty space, of limiting its outlines.
-José Ortega y Gasset, The Revolt of the Masses.

Slinge, South Rotterdam, demonstrates the crisis of Dutch multiculturalism. Its community envelope lacks definition and offers no access to the public sphere of Rotterdam. Integration requires exposing Slinge to the larger grids and flows of the city. For that reason, we propose the construction of a new transfer station with numerous public programs that will enliven the neighborhood and make Slinge a regional destination. This public sphere requires a break with the long-standing tradition of an urbanism based on objecthood; in contrast, we place architecture at the service of a definition of the public. A ring of public institutions is arranged around an open square, exposing its users to each other. In this collector, urban and suburban paths will cross. The programs include houses of worship, a school, police station, restaurants, banks, post office, district offices, and shared community spaces. We also propose the inclusion of big-box retail, currently a suburban phenomenon in need of re-urbanization.

The open square is triple-programmed for traffic and parking, sports and leisure, and as a large canvas for community art and action. This ‘canvas’ is visible from Rotterdam’s most public space - its transportation infrastructure – emphasizing the connection between Slinge and the larger civic space shared by the city’s inhabitants. Bigger blocks of parking define the square’s corners, celebrating the moment of arrival. The facades within the square are neutral, framing the activities within. By designing our architecture as an outline for public action, we monumentalize life itself. Here, the reality of Slinge’s life can appear as a figure.