Joost Joosse
Heritage & Architecture: Winterswijk
‘De draad weer oppakken’
Gaudium is a weaving company that has been located in Winterswijk since 1866. It is unique that the weaving activities still take place in the original building. In fact, Gaudium is planning to enlarge their production lines. However, they do not see future within the current building ensemble. If these buildings were to be demolished, Winterswijk could lose a part of its identity along with the employment for its inhabitants.
The project seeks to convince interested parties of the values of weaving, how the traditional craft evolved to today’s intelligent production process. To do so, an architectural promenade is introduced which breaks through the historical layouts. This intervention functions as a transport route for fabrics and allows one to experience the process of weaving within a historic environment. It is a major challenge to revitalise heritage in smaller settlements such as Winterswijk. The key here lies in the local industry and craftsmanship as a starting point for the future development.