For almost 25 years, Architecture in the Netherlands has provided an indispensable overview of recent projects for everyone who is interested in or professionally involved with Dutch architecture. The editorial team presents and comments on 30 projects selected from the 400 or more submissions of work that was completed over the past year. In each edition the editorial team highlights and describes the most important or radical developments and trends that are influencing the production and design of Dutch architecture. The book also presents an overview of the previous year’s major awards, competitions, exhibitions, articles and publications.

Once again, the editors’ main task has been to visit more than 60 buildings (out of the 400-plus submissions from the 2010 production) and select 30 of them for inclusion in this Yearbook. That selection may contain a foretaste of what we will be seeing more of in future: more projects in which adaptive reuse, transformation and modest enlargement figure prominently and a growing number of projects commissioned by private or business collectives. These are complemented by a few larger housing complexes and public buildings for government, education, religion and sport – and, finally, just two „ordinary“ office buildings. And since this selection includes a remarkable number of interesting stairs, Kees van der Hoeven in his essay explores the design and detail of a number of striking examples in greater depth. The unselected projects from the longlist are once again included in the book in the form of a small photo.

This year, too, the book contains a calendar in which the most important events are arranged month by month, and an overview of individuals, competitions, publications and exhibitions in the field of architecture. Given the growing influence of electronic applications and the Internet, a section entitled „Digital“ has been included for the first time.

Anne Luijten describes likely possibilities in area development and JaapJan Berg discusses various solutions being canvassed in the revived debate among architects. Samir Bantal dons his developer’s hat to examine the vacancy rate problem in Rotterdam and compares it to the situation that arose in the American city of Detroit, where the automotive industry collapsed a few decades ago, resulting in similar levels of vacancy.