Written by Julia Aleksandra Zmarzlik
The Macandra building in Enschede (Overijssel, Netherlands) is one of the last breaths of residential brutalism in the country. Currently it provides affordable housing for international students, but the living conditions are dire and far from comfortable. A major renovation has been announced for a few years, and although not much of it can be seen yet, it raises questions about who will get to live in the new, glammed-up Macandra—and who will be able to afford it.
Among the neat brick houses of the Horstlanden-Stadsweide neighborhood in Enschede, the Macandra stands out like a rotten tooth. What once was a slick, modern dormitory for nursing students has deteriorated through years of negligence and come to a state of advanced decay. The crumbling concrete exterior and gloomy living space make the three-winged brutalist giant seem neglected and uninhabited. In fact, Macandra still provides affordable accommodation mainly to international students and, since a few years, is expecting a complete renovation. The project proposed by Enschede-based architectural firm IAA Architecten shows a highly modern building with a green facade, solar panels, a large roof terrace and no more visible concrete. Little will remain of its once defining brutalist character and former prestige.
The Macandra was built in 1971 as a brutalist dormitory for nursing and physiotherapy students from the Stadsmaten hospital, and its appearance was an anomaly in the monumental Volkspark. Inhabited solely by young to-be nurses, the building was a progressive enterprise, as it wasn’t common in the 70s for unmarried women to live outside of their family home. After a few years Macandra began housing students from outside the nursing school, becoming a regular student accommodation – and it hasn’t changed its function ever since. What did change, however, is the ethnicity of its residents, and the living conditions in which they’re living.
Today the Macandra houses some 140 students from over 25 countries, as the building’s manager Marian van der Helm proudly emphasizes. Most of them come from India, Curaçao, Eastern Europe and East African countries. Few of them are Dutch. These statistics may be drastically affected by the planned renovation, but at the moment residents don’t expect rapid changes. “They keep telling us that they’re renovating and then I don’t see anything happen” says Jacqueline* (22) from Curaçao, who moved to the Macandra in summer 2023. Daniel (23) from Romania has been living in the building for 4 years and never signed a contract for longer than 6 months. “For now, I had 8 contracts signed with the Macandra and every time it’s on an I’m-not-sure-if-we’re-gonna-renew-it basis”. Although the right wing of the building has been closed off and underwent inner construction work, the process is again on hold. The reasons behind the delays are various. The renovation is a complex and difficult procedure on its own, which needed to be approved by the authorities, and then the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine jointly made prices soar. One of the main obstacles listed by Van der Helm were the objections of Erfgoedvereniging Heemschut (Heemschut Heritage Association), who unexpectedly requested monument status for the brutalist dormitory. Although the renovation consent from the city council couldn’t be withdrawn, the Heemschut brought attention to an aspect overlooked in the robust modernisation plans – Macandra, as the only brutalist building in Enschede and one of the last examples of Dutch residential brutalism, might have historical and cultural value.
Why would the Macandra deserve monument status? “That’s a good question”, laughs the building manager. As much as she appreciates the solid construction of the building, a monument should also be beautiful to look at, she reasons. “I don’t think people would say that this is how it should be, as it is right now”. This opinion is shared by members of Erfgoedvereniging Heemschut, who unsuccessfully requested monument status for the building, but their proposed solution to its dilapidated state is in stark contrast to the current renovation plan. “It’s not a good project” says Johan*, architect and member of Heemschut. “The apartments and rooms are not commercial – they are too small, too identical. And too noisy”. In his view, the modernization should focus on the inside of the building rather than the exterior, improving the living conditions of residents while preserving the brutalist character that makes the Macandra worth a city monument status. “When you renovate a building which has some [cultural or historical] value, you have to be careful”. He also criticizes the authorities for turning a blind eye on demolition and hasty renovation of architecturally significant buildings. “Nobody cares about the historic value”, concludes Johan. But despite the unique character of Macandra and increasing enthusiasm towards brutalism among young specialists, for people without architectural knowledge the building is simply ugly, and for its residents – uncomfortable and grim.
Both Macandra’s manager and inhabitants agree that the building desperately needs a renovation. On one hand, bad insulation and single-pane windows leave owner Simon Anter with a monthly gas bill of 36,505 euros during the heating season. On the other, it’s the residents who get to live in an old, run down building with tiny rooms and only one laundry machine – a problem that can hardly be explained by the age of the building. Complaints about the cleanness of the common areas, inefficient sound and temperature insulation and unexpected insect appearances counterbalance positive remarks about the good location and cheap rent. “I always say to my friends, which of course is a joke: I’m going back to my prison cell. I have nothing to do after getting back from work and from school. It’s a small room so it’s like a prison. It’s not comfortable for living – only for sleeping, reading and studying. So that’s my small prison cell” laughs Zerihun (27) from Ethiopia, living in Macandra since 2021. Laura (21) from Poland lived in the building from August 2022 to June 2023. She recalls the uncleanliness of the shared kitchens. “Very often I was the one cleaning the whole mess, because I was too disgusted to cook”, she says. Her biggest concern, however, was her safety in the building. “I had a very intrusive neighbor, who would often knock on my door and try to offer me food or ask me out. He would even come to my balcony – because balconies aren’t separated from each other – and say we’re going out. I also got notes slipped under my door from other residents with indecent proposals. You can’t call home a place where you don’t feel safe and you don’t want to return to” concludes Laura. She is not the only resident concerned about their security. Aberash (25) comes from Ethiopia. He moved to Macandra in 2022 and as much as he appreciates the price of the rent, he doesn’t always feel safe where he lives. “A lot of strangers enter the building, especially the 10th floor is known for this. Many things happen, might be crime, destruction of the kitchen cabinets, a lot of destruction. They enter saying that they want to see the view, but in reality when they take more drugs, you know, they might destroy something. Such things have happened on the 10th floor maybe three times since I’ve lived here. Many people, because of such things, prefer to move out”.
Despite the building’s poor condition and inefficient amenities, most students are grateful for their small rooms in Macandra, as it’s often the only option they can find—or afford. “The best thing is the price and that I somehow managed to find a place to live” says Daniel, who struggled to find housing after coming to the Netherlands in 2020. Jacqueline got her room through a university contract, and even though she’d gladly move out, finding another place is difficult. “I have a problem with the cleanliness of the building, but with the housing crisis you don’t really have places to go, so… you’re stuck here”, she complains. Other inhabitants also list availability and rent prices among the main reasons why they chose to live in Macandra. “It’s close to the city center and it’s cheap” says Zerihun, “but I think it will be very expensive after it’s renovated, because it’s near to the city [center], near to the volkspark and to many places. Even the houseparking that is free of charge now will probably be expensive” reasons the student.
“We have to renovate, because we have many students living here and we would also like to offer them a nice place to stay”, says the building’s manager. However, when asked about future rent prices and the intended target audience, she couldn’t provide a clear answer. “Of course the basic rent will be higher, but the energy cost will be lower, so I don’t know what the result price will be”, says van der Helm. “I don’t know [if the students can afford it] – I can’t look into the students’ wallets”. Currently, some residents are paying around €355 for a small room, while more recent tenants are charged up to €100 more. Studio apartments can cost as much as €670, with the base rent being €320 and an additional €350 for utilities. This pricing makes it impossible to qualify for housing benefits. All of the interviewed residents expect a significant rent increase after the renovation, which may make living in Macandra unaffordable for them. “I’m expecting the rent to go up, but I don’t think that’s fair”, says Jacqueline. “I would have to pay more for… half a room”.
*All names of residents and members of Erfgoedvereniging Heemschut have been changed for privacy reasons.
Despite a few attempts, building owner Simon Anter did not decide to comment on the future of Macandra.
Edited by Joanna Sowińska, Illustrated by Evie H.