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CCTV center

Camera surveillance is widespread and fully accepted in modern society. It is employed in public space, in public transport, stadiums, shops and shopping centres, railway stations, etc. Just what is being filmed, we never get to see, except perhaps via the monitor hanging from a shop ceiling or in candid camera TV shows which show only the most ridiculous or shocking events. Where are all those other tapes full of material about the ordinary man and woman in the street?

The viewing and storage of the images takes place in some anonymous business park where the images are sent via kilometres of cable. There is no real reason for hiding these operational bases away outside the city limits. It is time to give this programme a place inside the city. A link with the location being monitored is easily made and would strengthen the relation between camera, supervisor and citizen.

Changes to the design of the building where this monitoring takes place are also imaginable. A media facade would allow citizens to see what the cameras see. Each camera in the system would have its own place on the facade and passers-by would be able to see an ‘uncut’ recording of the previous day. As soon as there was something in the images that can't be viewed or whenever the images were being used by the police, that particular screen would turn black. In this way the facade would effectively become a barometer of the level of safety in the neighbourhood.

Background:

In the Netherlands 80 % of the people would like more camera surveillance. This would also mean that the rules that dictate the current location and appearance of these centers for surveillance can also change.