72 NEW DUTCH ARCHITECTURE


CASE STUDY MARKER WADDEN


Winner of a 2021 Dutch Design Award, the Marker Wadden is a new nature reserve reclaimed from a freshwater lake and designed to prioritise plant and bird well-being rather than that of humans. This innovative project showcases Dutch ingenuity and the New Dutch values, with an archipelago constructed from clay and silt dredged out of the Markermeer lake. Five connected islands consist primarily of marshlands and shallow waters, in which rare and endangered species of plants and birds are now thriving. There is minimal accommodation for humans, and only on the largest island, in the form of 15 lightweight timber-clad structures, designed by Palmbout Urban Landscapes and Ziegler|Branderhorst. Comprising a welcome pavilion and visitor café, cabins for visitors, researchers and volunteers, a research station and a bird hide, they are made from prefabricated wooden blocks that can easily be transported over land or water. Self-contained bathrooms, toilets and kitchen units are shipped intact and positioned on a large wooden frame supported by a spiral pile foundation. The prefabricated blocks support the roof structure. Their shape, situation and


materials are completely complementary to the wild, watery setting, with roofs pitched in the direction of the sun to capture maximum solar power (providing 80% of all energy requirements. A


ground-coupled heat exchanger provides the rest). All are single storey and clad with now nicely weathered timber. Only the quirkily shaped lookout rises noticeably above the dunes. A small number of visitors are allowed on the island at any time. And, whether staying in the simple, cabin accommodation or daytrippers, all have to travel there in an hour’s journey by passenger boat from the nearby Lelystad jetty. For those staying in this peaceful haven, there are windswept beaches aplenty, and 18km of walking paths.


Client Natuurmonumenten (Dutch Society for Nature Conservation) and Rijkswaterstaat (the Executive agency of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management)


Dredging and island engineering Boskalis


Architecture Palmbout Urban Landscapes with Ziegler|Branderhorst


Landscape design Vista Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning


Area 1,300 hectares Budget €90m Completed 2021


Landscaping consultants Arturo Flores


Awards Habitat winner, Dutch Design Awards 2021


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