Terenja Van Dijk

The project I live in a monument attempted to make the inhabitants aware of the historical importance of the environment in which they lived, and the ideas behind it.

Conforta, Arena, and Unitas are old, working-class neighborhoods in Antwerp and Deurne with a special historical and architectural character. The Conforta homes in Conforta and Kronenburg are like historical monuments: the first homes sold to laborers. The Unitas quarter – protected since 1982 – was designed as a garden community, and Arena – designed by Renaat Braem – as a modernist paradigm of social housing.
The project was not only an investigation into the history and architecture of the various quarters – the inhabitants were also intensely involved. For months they were involved in conversations and activities. The project also attempted to reinforce social relations in the neighborhoods involved.

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