Bold ideas

At BLOC, we have the amazing privilege of meeting the builders, creators and thinkers of the new world. Aspiring startups, focused corporations, open-minded public collectives and everyone else with bold ideas is welcome to our café. However, getting a grip on the application and potential of a new material, fascinating technique or unique concept can be very challenging.

An iconic structure

We have learned a valuable lesson from the ongoing adventure of the Dutch Windwheel. It has already acquired a powerful role as a frame of reference for discussions about important yet abstract themes such as sustainability, climate building, and smart cities. We have seen that a striking typology (a wheel) has helped to build that frame. An iconic structure helps to grasp issues that seem over our heads, develop solutions for application, and thereby maximize societal leverage.

From this perspective, we have developed BLOC.park, a wide variety of game-changing artefacts in the form of a park. It caters to the traditional objectives of a park, such as air filtration, water management and of course the offer of an escape from the urban jungle. The difference is that it works in a much more effective way. With a modest footprint and bold mindset, it applies the brightest ideas in urban and green technology. And this is done in a modular and space-efficient manner, which makes the park just as agile as the ideas it features.

The physical form consists of a movable smart carpet that features plug&play infrastructure for the most contemporary facilities. The carpet can be located on water and on land in a hybrid fashion. For this, we have taken our inspiration from the Flying Grass Carpet and MVRDV’s design for Floriade 2022. The park acts as an active water and air purifier, produces food and energy, and offers multiple leisure opportunities to promote outdoor play and a healthy lifestyle.