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.
A package for all three evenings is available for 45 euro. Tickets for the separate evenings are 17,50 euro. All tickets include a simple dinner prior to the event.
Collective post65 architecture repurposed
For this edition, the Independent School for the City has invited Office Winhov to curate a lecture series on the transformation of public and cultural buildings designed and constructed between 1965 and 1990. After the renewed appreciation of buildings from the post-war reconstruction period, attention has recently also shifted towards the generation of buildings and urban areas built after 1965. Now approximately fifty years old, many of these structures no longer meet contemporary standards for sustainability and comfort. At the same time, the dismantling of the welfare state has eroded the financial foundations that once supported the social programme in these buildings. In contrast to their post-war predecessors, which generally have a robust and solid construction, many post65 buildings were built light-framed, using materials and structures that are often more difficult to restore and sustain. This combination of factors often motivates municipalities or building owners nowadays to demolition them and make way for something new. Yet from both a sustainability perspective as well as a cultural-historical point of view, there are strong arguments for preserving these buildings and giving them a second life.
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 uses this lecture series to explore the future of Post65 collective buildings. The series will both look at the challenges of repurposing post65 architecture as well as their cultural value. Bringing together questions and examples from various places in the Netherlands, it will investigate how these buildings, through careful design, can once again become icons of a renewed social infrastructure, responding to the social and cultural needs of today.
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 focuses 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 Takashi Richters (Powerhouse).
The second evening addresses the large number of school buildings that were constructed across the Netherlands in the post65 period. These buildings are not unique; they are often nondescript and were built relatively cheaply. As a result, they often no longer meet the requirements of today. During this evening, we will therefore explore how these buildings could be make future proof through careful design. With Uri Gilad, Inez Tan, Wilma Kempinga, Daniëlle Huls and Teun van de Meulen
Tuesday 05 May 2026, 18:00 - 22:00 REPURPOSING POST65 COMMUNITY BUILDINGS
The third and final evening focuses on community based initiatives for the repurposement of the ordinary, often-overlooked, buildings that can be found in neighbourhoods all across the Netherlands. They have played a vital part in people’s everyday life and include community or health centers, cultural facilities, daycares, or small libraries. Together we’ll explore how communities can collectively give a new meaning to these buildings with modest interevantions.
