Civic Architects started its work on a cyclist and pedestrian underpass with a bit of a white lie. The Amsterdam-based firm promised its client, the city of Tilburg, Netherlands, it could design a high-tech facade of transparent brick that would allow light into a passageway connecting the historic downtown with a new development on the other side of the railroad tracks. “Of course, that brick didn’t exist,” says Jan Lebbink, 36, one of four partners—including Rick ten Doeschate, 34; Ingrid van der Heijden, 49; and Gert Kwekkeboom, 33—who founded Civic in 2015. They went through unsuccessful tests with ceramic and porcelain brick before finding Van Tetterode glass studio, known for working with artists to create custom glasswork. “Would it be three or four bricks?” asked the studio. No, the architects would need 30,000. Once that hurdle was overcome, Civic collaborated with interactive-design firm Lust and Philips Lighting to integrate an algorithm that reacts to passersby and to shifts in the environment like a passing train or changing weather. The resulting tunnel makes good on the architects’ promise, creating a passageway that feels more like an open-air street; residents even rent it out for parties now.
The project embodies a philosophy underpinning much of Civic’s work, which is that the role of technology is not to lead but to support the advancement of materials or experiences. In this way, the firm aims to weave together architecture with public value and cultural heritage with the logistics of urban life.
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