Bi-Re-Cycle

Thom Schreuder is an architect with a strong focus on using what is already in existence to spark the imagination of someone visiting his structures. His Ruin Prosthesis project involves giving a ‘prosthetic’ aid to a useless building; it is a fascinating juxtaposition and an anthropomorphisation of architecture and design.

Throughout the Netherlands, the areas around railway and bus stations are overflowing with old, abandoned bikes that need to be cleared away to lots where they continue to sit, unused and unclaimed. The frames are usually sturdy iron, steel or aluminum, and should not be tossed or left unused. By simply attaching the rear fork of the frames to the peddle axis an arched structure is made, a sort of pergola that can be overgrown with ivy or simply left as is. The iconic bicycle is given a new life once out of commission that serves a public good.