GOINGDUTCH

• Source: Global Times
• [10:29 August 04 2010]
• Comments

The style from De Stijl. Photo: Courtesy of Dutch Design Work Space

By Liu Mengyue

With limited land - much of it reclaimed from the sea - the population of Holland has long been at the forefront of creating sustainable living spaces. An unstable, watery landmass has forced planners to constantly rethink conventional wisdom when it comes to architecture and urban design. The curator of the Rotterdam Boijmans-van Beuningen Museum, Hugh Aldersey-Williams said: "It's only through careful design that our country can be made into a livable place."

And as one of the first countries to initiate modernist design Holland has gained a reputation for radical aesthetics, technological innovation and studied craftsmanship. This rich tradition has given rise to a generation of architects such as Rem Koolhaas who created Beijing's iconic CCTV tower.

Other Dutch-inspired projects currently under construction include Raffles City, a 60-story two-tower complex in Hangzhou designed by USudio, and the new Guangzhou TV Tower designed by Information Based Architecture.

And now a program to help nurture Dutch designers in China has been set up in Jing'an district. Located on Shaanxi Road North the Dutch Design Workspace opened its doors last month and will offer a three-year incubator program for both individuals and small to medium-sized Dutch companies hoping to tap into the Chinese market.

"Companies in the creative industries are often just a handful of people, and it can be tricky for Dutch designers to try to navigate such a large market as China," said program director Giel Groothuis.

Groothius told the Global Times that between 60 and 70 percent of the total funding for the project has come from the Netherlands Consulate in Shanghai.

Stepping into this complex of former factory buildings, it's clear that Groothius (who also designed the interior) has been influenced by De Stijl, the Dutch arts and design movement that advocated the use of simple, linear visuals and primary colors, as well as black and white. In the center of this single 500-square meter room, sit three cubicles decorated in black tiles made from recycled tires.

"The designers can come together in these cubicles, or meet with their clients, and the glass doors create a very conducive atmosphere for communication," said Groothuis. The workspace's tenants will also be offered "soft" support such as market-ing, business registration and legal advice.

"The incubator aims to promote the Dutch companies' market influence in China, while at the same time protecting them from going bust in such a fierce marketplace," said marketing and PR manager Zhu Jie. "Few designers really focus on the commercial side of the business, so it's my job to help them with that." After the three year program is finished, the first batch of designers will be expected to leave the center, making room for a new round of start-ups. According to Groothius, the workspace will also consider applications from Chinese designers and companies in the future, although the administrative support will not be available to them.