Mecanoo explores the Romance of the Journey at Fabrique’s Ruimte voor de reiziger

Mecanoo recently took part in the Fabrique event Ruimte voor de reiziger, centred on improving the experience of travellers within increasingly complex mobility environments.

The romance of the journey

Arne Lijbers, Architect and Partner at Mecanoo, shared insights from a range of projects in which the traveller, or more broadly the human being, takes centre stage. Each project is grounded in Mecanoo’s philosophy of People, Place, Purpose and Poetry. This approach brings together the needs of users and client ambitions, the cultural and physical context, and the long-term potential of a building, resulting in designs that engage all the senses.

A key theme in his contribution was the role of the in-between space. This is the meaningful transition zone, whether physical, social or conceptual, where connection is created and architecture becomes more than a functional object. It is where interaction, identity and experience come together.

At IQL North Stratford in London, this idea takes on an urban scale. The project links Stratford station to the surrounding neighbourhood through a network of squares, passages and public plinths. While the buildings define the edges, it is the open spaces between them that enable encounter, movement and everyday use. The result is a lively urban district where infrastructure, work and public life are closely intertwined.

As Arne Lijbers noted: “The in-between space is the space that offers freedom, surprises, and is open to possibilities.”

He also introduced the idea of the romance of the journey, where architecture becomes a narrative experience shaped by movement, transition and discovery. In the renovation of De Nederlandsche Bank, this is expressed through the transformation of a closed institution into an accessible and transparent environment. The route through the building, from public entrance to collection spaces and roof garden, gradually reveals the story of the bank and its new open character.

Mecanoo was joined at the event by contributors from NS, ProRail and the Municipality of Amsterdam, alongside designers and strategists from Fabrique, reflecting a shared ambition to place the traveller at the heart of future mobility environments.

Photography: First image by Merel Boers (Eidra).