Lotte Stam-Beesesquare
2026
— proposal Krimpen 750
KRIMPEN AAN DEN IJSSEL — A single street sign transforms the entire village centre into a collaborative work of art. For those who realize this — it's unprecedented. In the village of Krimpen, the town center is at a standstill. That is why I am looking for 'key makers' who can work together to unlock a vision of the future. My appeals can be found here and here on the 'Krimpen voor Elkaar' website.
The 'Lotte Stam-Beesesquare' makes it possible to imagine the future of the village center. How? Everyone who uses this cultural space becomes a participant in this development. This means that we give meaning to the surrounding through our actions. When we dance together here, we give direction to the future. By using the square in a truly different way, we are building the village center of tomorrow.
In 2024, I was invited by policy advisor Ellen Jacobs (Culture, Language and Events) to explore, as an artist, the absence of a vibrant village centre. The municipality has been developing technical plans for the town centre since 2006, yet no change has materialized. By transforming this central area into a cultural construction site, we can approach the issue from multiple perspectives.
The facts speak for themselves: local politics fails to break the deadlock, the property owner shows no initiative whatsoever, and residents merely passively consume this failing space. A new form of spatial engagement is therefore urgently needed.
It is precisely by introducing alternative and active forms of use within the current frameworks that we lay the foundation for a new future. A compelling cultural development restores our control over the city center. In doing so, we activate this space as a guiding democratic platform that all parties must unconditionally take into account.
— quote from the article: A Life in Service of Spaces for this and that
LOTTE STAM-BEESE — Architect and urban planner Charlotte (Lotte) Ida Anna Stam-Beese lived in Krimpen aan den IJssel for over 24 years. I wrote the article 'A Life in the Service of Spaces for this and that' about her life and work for the spring issue Van Yssel Tot IJssel, published in 2026 by the Historische Kring Krimpen aan den IJssel (HKK).
Stam-Beese played a major role during the reconstruction period. Her most important urban design projects for Rotterdam are: Kleinpolder (1947 — 1952), Pendrecht (1949 — 1952), and Alexanderpolder/Ommoord (1957 — 1971). I have been inspired by her wisdom; she was far ahead of her time.
From 1963 onward, she lived at IJsseldijk 284 in a dike house that was renovated to her design. In the 1960s, she draw a second river crossing for the village, and the metro line was extended in a loop from Capelle to Krimpen. She firmly believed that living environments are built together — as a reflection of the times. "The ground belongs to all of us," was one of her famous sayings. She died in this village on November 16, 1988, at the age of 85. The house where she lived was recently demolished.
— quote from column: Searching for a 'Heart of Krimpen'
When considering the village center of Krimpen, one cannot overlook the ideas of Lotte Stam-Beese. Although her early modernism resulted in the rigid functional separation that is now proving restrictive, her deeper Bauhaus ideals and her vision of the neighborhood concept offer radical new perspectives for revitalizing the center of Krimpen.
The Lotte Stam-Beeseplein offers a way to envision the future together with entrepreneurs, residents, and municipal staff. It creates an opportunity to experience how things could be done differently. It is intended as a living preview designed to break open the current, stalled reality in Krimpen. It is time to move beyond the car-centric mindset and design a distinctive village center centered on people and the community.
— proposal Krimpen 750.
LOTTE STAM-BEESESQUARE — After thorough research (2024–2025) I presented an imaginary village square with the municipality late 2025: the 'Lotte Stam-Beesesquare.' This gives us the opportunity to envision a village heart that exists (for now) only in the world of our imagination. It asks residents to imagine how we want to use this bustling village square.
— quote from Magazine De Klinker: How does Krimpen get a vibrant heart?
The street sign is a door to the imagination and cannot exist without its users. Now we can dance away the parked cars and imagine the future. For let’s be honest. If the privatized village space does not move in step with the collective desires of our time, then we can learn from Lotte Stam-Beese that, with unprecedented optimism, we can build our ideals over it through the air.
Krimpen aan den IJssel is home to 30,000 people, but is the village also being "built by residents"?
Kind regards, Edwin Stolk.
The 'Lotte Stam-Beesesquare' is the result of the local research with the title 'cardio_vision' and the artistic concept 'De Voorstelling' (the performance). It was made possible with a contribution from Innovatielabs and co-financing from the municipality of Krimpen aan den IJssel.
'Lotte Stam-Beesesquare' was mentioned in the following media: Magazine De Klinker.
'Lotte Stam-Beesesquare' follows the concept behind: #theorganisation
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