The success of a campus is more than just grass and trees - Mecanoo

The success of a campus is more than just grass and trees
On the 1st of February 2007 the Mekelweg, the central axis of the Delft University of Technology zone, was
officially closed. Hans van Luyck, the chairman of the board of governors, called it an historical moment, noting
the many plans that had preceded it. He laughingly predicted that all the TomTom navigation systems would
crash. The Mekelweg is being replaced by the Mekel Park, so that the Delft University of Technology is finally
acquiring a real campus.
In photographs of the Mekelweg from 1960 one can clearly see the urban concept and the spirit of the times of
the then Delft Technical High School: a linear public space with the various faculty buildings situated on either
side. Expansions could only take place at the rear of the faculty buildings. This was a tried and tested method all
over the world for new university complexes with, above all, a lot of space for growth, something that the old
inner cities were no longer capable of achieving. One of the reasons for this way of thinking was the postwar
baby boom. The spirit of the times was represented not only in the urban plan but also in the buildings
themselves - an optimistic faith in the future, trust in technology, in the sculptural possibilities of concrete, not
to mention faith in the car for which the zone was largely designed. The faculty buildings are solitary, introverted
buildings, standing on the Mekelweg like surly individuals with no connection to public space, let alone with
each other.
The Delft University of Technology is now looking differently at its domain. In 1960 it was expected that the
university would grow to 20,000 students but this never happened. There are now 13,000 students, an increasing
number of them from outside the Netherlands. The buildings are obsolete and need to be adapted to new forms
of education and research. Compact computer simulations are replacing the large laboratory halls of old. The
quest for an attractive, international campus has started. The construction of the central library in 1998 marked a
turning-point in the urban planning of the University of Technology zone. Public space was created, rather than
confiscated. The library with its grass roof is now a meeting place for all students. There should be more of this!
The tram route from Leidschendam to the new high-tech Technopolis business park in Delft means that the
Mekelweg can be closed to car traffic. With the introduction of Mekel Park, the Delft University of Technology is
adopting the idea of a campus that is not only for the university but also for the city of Delft. The campus of
Harvard University near Boston is a good example of this. When I walk around there I see not only a park and
trees but also real community space where students and professors as well as tourists like to go to. In my
experience it is a university that wants to act as a magnet for the best international professionals, and that is
precisely the reason why it is attractive to go there. The buildings offer the possibility to talk with my students
seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. The equipment is state of the art. The university population is
international, with a large number coming from Asia. You can eat not only in the canteen, but also in a large array
of cheap or expensive coffee shops, cafés and restaurants. Korean, Japanese and Italian restaurants are all within
walking or cycling distance from the campus, as are the halls of residents and shops.
The Technical University of Delft is busy adapting its faculty buildings so that they open onto Mekel Park.
Attractive entrances, restaurants and informal places to work are being shifted to the ground floor with terraces
looking out over the park. For a university it is necessary that one can meet and inspire one another informally
and exchange ideas. The Technical University of Delft has to work together with the city and businesses on a

single total concept: Delft Knowledge City. Vocational training is part of this as well. The success of a campus is
more than just grass and trees.
Francine Houben
Francine Houben is an architect and director of Mecanoo Architecten, professor of Architectural Design at the
Technical University of Delft and visiting professor at Harvard University, Cambridge, USA.