Between ecomodernism and the apocalypse

The fourth and final Maaskant Dialogue was held in the impressive hall of the former post office during Architecture Month (June 2019). The dialogue between the two energy experts was an eloquent ‘glass half full, glass half empty’ exchange, with Samsom’s optimistically overflowing glass on one side and Sijmons’ apocalyptically shattered glass on the other side.

Dirk Sijmons is a landscape architect and founder of the practice H+N+S; he was the Government Advisor on the Landscape and curator of the Rotterdam Architecture Biennale ‘Urban by Nature’. Above all, he is a two-time winner of the Maaskant Prize: the first time in 2002 for his pioneering work in advancing regional design, and the second time in 2017 as part of the ‘Room for the River’ programme. Sijmons’ design-based research into the energy transition was the direct reason for inviting him to a discussion with specialist Diederik Samsom.

Diederik Samsom is an independent consultant on sustainable energy, a board member of Energiebeheer Nederland (EBN) – which is implementing part of the Netherlands’ energy transition – a former Greenpeace activist and a long-serving Member of the House of Representatives, until he became best known as leader of the PvdA from 2012 to 2016.

The topic of discussion is the spatial impact of the energy transition in relation to the numerous climate targets, the social consequences and, consequently, public support for the necessary measures.