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20 POMPEJUS TOWER, HALSTEREN, THE NETHERLANDS


A SUBMERGED BRIDGE


Constructed before the adjacent tower and using the same modified timber is a submerged ‘Moses Bridge’


The timber and steel structure leans at a 60 degree angle towards the outer edges of the fort, inverting the slopes and reflecting the angles of the banks beneath


theatre stage which is observable from each of the platforms ahead. Multiple sets of timber stairs within the tower double up as benches at the lower levels, and provide vertical access to each of the observation platforms both to watch theatre productions, and at the top level – and echoing the ancient fort’s original purpose, to watch the waterline.


Timber rationale


Explaining why timber was used as the primary material for the tower, Kil says: “The original fort was built from sand, which is soft but durable at the same time. We wanted to replicate that, and use a softer material for the tower. Plus, all of the historical military buildings were made from wood.” There was also the desire to align the tower’s design with the language of the existing Moses Bridge, located just 150 metres to the south.


Like its submerged neighbour, Pompejus


Tower features Accoya wood throughout – a New Zealand grown Radiata Pine which


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has undergone Accsys Group’s proprietary acetylation process, whereby planks of the wood are placed into a pressurised tank of acetic anhydride (high-strength vinegar) and are, essentially, pickled. The result is a non-toxic softwood with structural properties which rival and exceed even tropical hardwoods. Acetylation changes the free hydroxyls within the wood into acetyl groups. When the free hydroxyl group is transformed to an acetyl group, the ability of the wood to absorb water is greatly reduced, rendering the wood more dimensionally stable and extremely durable, making it much more resilient to water, and less susceptible to rot; a crucial factor given the Dutch climate’s perennial wind and rain. “Tropical hardwoods were the only other choice, really,” explains Kil, who favoured Accoya for its sustainably sourced fast-growing properties. “There was no doubt that we had to work with it,” says Kil.


It was originally intended that the structure be made entirely from wood, but


ADF AUGUST 2018


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