Danil Oort and Sofia Manieri

MOCCU

Student: Danil Oort and Sofia Manieri

Title: MOCCU: the Museum of Chicory Culture

Studio: MSc1 Dutch Change

Semester: Fall 2022

Abstract
In a future where the Netherlands will decrease its dependence on imports and exports, several goods will need to be replaced, such as coffee. MOCCU is a project that aims at bringing back the Dutch tradition of the production of chicory beverages as an alternative to coffee. Taking shape in the port of Rotterdam, the building materialises from the leftovers of the harbour; cranes, ships, and quay walls become the main components for the construction. Overall, the project goal is to break the divide between the production and consumption of goods, creating a cluster of buildings and functions that pivot around Chicory: a production tower, a chicory bar, and an exhibition space.

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages on the planet. The production of the Coffee bean, however, has fundamental problems causing the drink to be fundamentally unsustainable. Coffee is all imported, mainly from countries in Africa and South America (Ukers, 1935). There, the cultivation causes damage to local ecosystems, and it is the primary cause of the exploitation of workers. Widespread caffeine addiction results in massive consumption while providing no nutritional value (Gopnik, 2020). To solve these issues it is worth questioning: Could we produce Coffee in Rotterdam in a sustainable way?