Because large parts of the netherlands are below sealevel, the dutch have been fighting the water for as long as we can remember. However, water isn’t the only enemy of our country. In times of war water became a welcome ally and the nation’s best line of defence. The dutch caused intentional inundation using Hollands biggest secret weapon: the Dutch Waterline. The Line today offers many tourism and recreational possibilities. Every fort has a different purpose, for example, a camping site, a wine cellar, museum a restaurant or naturereserve. The National Centre New Dutch Waterline is situated at fort Vechten.
For the entrance and the parking of the visitors centre we made a design. The main challenge was to design a parking lot for 250 cars and logical routing to fort Vechten wich is not visible when it is not used . The central theme in the design was the hidden military landscape of the new Dutch Water line. The military landscapes of the water line are virtually invisible. Fortresses are camouflaged as scrubs and woodlands and the inundation fields are meadows with cows. Elements in which you can recognize the military landscapes are the bunkers and Casemates, and tankdefences called dragon teeth and tetraeders.
The entrance and the parking is shaped as a hidden military landscape. If there are no cars there is a large meadow with storks nests, a farmer's road and a grid of concrete tetraeders. The road and parking stalls are made of grass tiles. Frequently used pieces are infilled with broken brick. The tetraeders and parking numbers mark the parking strips and boxes, and are specially designed for this spot, but can be used throughout the New Dutch Water line. The shape and the material are derived from real anti tank elements and forts poles. The light poles are shaped like a Stork's nest.
The plan was created in close collaboration with artist Paul de Kort. The construction of the new entrance started in January 2012.
