Proposal metro station Rokin (2013)

This proposal was developed for a jury-nominated selection round for the design of the Rokin metro station in Amsterdam. I was invited to create a concept for the station, which was dedicated to the archaeological findings uncovered during the excavation of the Noord-Zuid metro line.

Proposal 1

Archaeology of Words

A typographical floor design focusing on the origins of words and their dates of first recorded usage, milled into the surface of the platform floor. During the construction of the metro line beneath Amsterdam, extensive archaeological discoveries were made in the former riverbed of the Amstel—an almost complete history of local civilization unearthed. Inspired by this, I turned to the Chronological Dutch Dictionary listing words by their earliest known usage, drawing a parallel between the evolution of language and the waves of immigration that have shaped the city’s history.

In my design, hundreds of words, accompanied by their origin dates, would be milled into the floor. The result is both a historical timeline and a playful reflection on the development of language: Why did the word two appear before one? Which came first, the word chicken or egg? This typographical excavation invites viewers to ponder how the fluidity of language mirrors the shifting tides of culture and migration over centuries.

I collaborated with my long term collaborator Julia Born (graphic design)

as well as

1. Bruno Vermeersch, Leon de Lange, design showcases
2. Emilia Bergmark, Nina Paim, assistance
3. Dr. Jan Stroop, linguistic advise
4. Nimis Beton, wall tiles
5. Mutsaert Natuursteen, floor tiles

1. The jury commissioned 4 artists to develop a proposal:
2. Ni Haifeng,
3. Marcel Schmalgmeijer,
4. Daniel Dewar & Grégory Gicquel (selected)
5. and myself.