A lecture series of three evenings curated by Office Winhov on repurposing Post65 collective buildings. Taking place on Tuesday 24 March, 14 April and 05 May 2026.
Collective post65 architecture repurposed
For this edition, the Independent School for the City invited Office Winhov to curate a series on the transformation of public and cultural buildings designed and constructed between 1965 and 1990. Having extensive experience with the adaptive reuse of buildings across the Netherlands, and building upon their design approach that combines contemporary transformation with respect for architectural heritage - as also presented in the recent book Architecture Repurposed - Office Winhov used this lecture series to explore the future of Post65 collective buildings.
Racap
As time moves relentlessly forward, we find ourselves listing buildings as heritage that were constructed during our lifetime. Following the reconstruction era, the buildings that housed the welfare state and its consumerist aftermath are now starting to reach the 50-year mark.
What should we do with architecture from the period between 1965 and 1990? Are we able to take a step back and view the variety of styles used during this period as 'historical'? Can we adapt the buildings' dimensions and materials to meet the functional and physical demands of our time?
These were the questions proposed by Office Winhov as the main theme of a series of three events in the 'Back to School with...' series. A wide range of projects was covered, from the important renovation of one of the icons of 1970s public architecture, the Public Library of Rotterdam by Van den Broek & Bakema, to the peculiar challenges faced by architects, users and historians alike at the Royal Library in The Hague, a building that manages to be both futuristic and picturesque. However, the most striking aspect was the interest in buildings from that era that are neither iconic nor designed by renowned architects. The thousands of schools designed and built in the 1970s, 1980s and even 1990s are now reaching the end of their lifespan and are either being replaced or renovated.
Historian and activist Wilma Kempinga talked about her campaign to convince school boards to renovate rather than demolish and replace their buildings, while architect August van Oppen discussed the improvisational architecture he uses to breathe new life into mediocre buildings from a generation ago.
It may appear that architectural preservation is a cultural process that selects masterpieces from each generation of buildings, but this is no longer the sole – or even the primary – reason to avoid demolishing old structures. Demolition and construction have been revealed to be hugely detrimental to the environment, prompting a shift in the profession's default position from creating something new to reinterpreting the existing. However, there is more than a material reason behind this shift. Existing buildings, no matter how mediocre their design or how awkward their daily use, still offer possibilities and atmospheric qualities that architects would find almost impossible to realise within the normal constraints of public buildings.
The evenings curated by Winhov clearly demonstrated how the issue of architectural preservation and renovation has broadened to encompass not only cultural obligations, but also physical sustainability. It also offers a new source of creativity and hitherto unknown spatial qualities, where the old and the new, the normal and the extraordinary converge.
About Office Winhov
Office Winhov is an Amsterdam-based architecture firm working in the tradition of the European city, developing projects characterised by a careful understanding of context and a strong attention to material expression. The practice aims to design buildings that connect naturally to their surroundings and respond thoughtfully to the diverse needs of owners and users. Their projects include the design of the National Holocaust Museum, de renovation of Amsterdam Amstel Station, the Opportuna residential tower, and the Pillows Hotel in Amsterdam. The practice has received major recognition, including the ARC Oeuvre Award and the 2023 Architect of the Year title, and actively contributes to architectural culture through education, research, and public initiatives.
This first evening focused on the more iconic buildings of the post65 period. These structures were often designed using unique and experimental architectural approaches, which made them highly distinctive and emblematic, but at the same time difficult to repurpose. With Uri Gilad & Inez Tan (Office Winhov), Wijnand Galema and Albert Richters (Powerhouse).
The second evening addressed the large number of school buildings that were constructed across the Netherlands in the post65 period. These buildings are not unique, but often nondescript and were built relatively cheaply. As a result, they no longer meet the requirements of today. During this evening, we therefore explored how these buildings could be made future proof through careful design. With Uri Gilad, Inez Tan, Wilma Kempinga, Daniëlle Huls and Teun van de Meulen
The third and final evening focused on the repurposement of buildings that can be found in neighbourhoods all across the Netherlands. Some are architecturally more interesting than others, but they have all played a vital part in people’s everyday life and include community or health centers, cultural facilities, daycares, or small libraries. Together we explored how these buildings can get a new meaning, while their original function has often disappeared. With Uri Gilad, Inez Tan, Stephanie Lama and Auguste van Oppen.
