Mapping Spatial Repertoire in Public Space

This article describes an intervention in the design of the public space in the CIAM garden city of Alexanderpolder in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The project is part of the renewal of sewage and roads.

The design assignment, being part of a maintenance operation, is for a great deal designing “backwards” to capture the spatial concept and to point out the composing elements and their contribution to the spatial image of the neighbourhood. By visualizing it in analytical maps and drawings, the design idea and design elements are made explicit and can be used as a guiding principle in the redesign of the streets, greens, and communal gardens.