Analysing the spatial syntax of Aldo van Eyck’s place-making in the Amsterdam playgrounds

Abstract

Aldo van Eyck is attributed with designing more than 700 playgrounds which engendered revolutionary spatial concepts such as the ‘twin phenomena’ and ‘in-between.’ These concepts are examined in the literature through the definition of place alongside its ethnographic origins; however, a limited number of studies address place-making through quantitative measures. This research project investigates the correlation between van Eyck’s playgrounds and his place-making depending on the spatial configuration. It analyses the planning of 70 playgrounds based on space syntax techniques and clusters them into six groups. It discusses the playgrounds’ spatial properties through their corresponding genotypes and phenotypes. The results show that the playgrounds represent a spectrum of place-making concepts ranging from relativity to labyrinthian clarity with the twin phenomena and in-between as intermediate spatial concepts. The results augment quantitively the claims in the literature and identify each playground’s dominant place-making concept and its particular intricacies.