Design of the Encounter
With the studio ‘Design of the Encounter’ the intervention aims at creating meaningful encounters between humans, animals, plants and the landscape. For this project the Maasvlakte II was the designated point of departure. It is the last artificially man made geographical addition to the main port of Rotterdam. It’s an industrial area with surrounding dunes, beaches and the North Sea coast line. Since the 1970’s Maasvlakte was the entrance point for container…
Design of the Encounter
With the studio ‘Design of the Encounter’ the intervention aims at creating meaningful encounters between humans, animals, plants and the landscape. For this project the Maasvlakte II was the designated point of departure. It is the last artificially man made geographical addition to the main port of Rotterdam. It’s an industrial area with surrounding dunes, beaches and the North Sea coast line. Since the 1970’s Maasvlakte was the entrance point for container ships and oil carriers. It consists of large industrial landscapes, piles of containers and large wind turbines. The newly built dunes and beaches were a normal local phenomenon before the industrial expansion and are now reintroduced.
The intervention takes place along the axis of a section through dune, shore and coast. Passing each section, one or more installations provide the experience of the encounters. The beginning of the section marks the connection with the industrial Botlek background. One sees in the form of wind turbines towering above the dunes edges. When proceeding to the beach section, shape, material and texture move further away from industrial Botlek and start to tell a story about natural decay and time. When passed the beach, the coastal installation ends the allegorical section with a transient installation. Each of the three segments represents a way in which to encounter the Maasvlakte: observing the rabits, birds and foxes in and around the dunes. The shore is a place of consistance change. On the Maasvlakte there are these huge natural pools created by the constant change of the tide. The use of the pools changes with the tide and through the seasons and so does the installation of the shore. The final installation can be found in the sea. This installation is almost taken over by the sea and the oceanic climate, and offers a place from the sometimes overwhelming Maasvlakte.
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Shore | Participating
The tidal square is located on the beach, on the high tide part of the shore. The square is made of stacked stones usually used for piers. When its low tide, the pool is drained and the full stage is usable. When the water rises, only part of the stage is still usable. Besides the stage humans and animals find two more type of structures in the pool. The floating pods and climbable steel structures allow for coral growth along the part that is constantly exposed to the tide and the top can be exploited by the birds for nesting or watch their food which forages bellow. When the tide rises it brings the crabs, mussels and other coastal species into the structure of the square, where they can inhabit the rugged structure The encounter takes place while exploring the different structures, participating in sports or theatre on the stage, interacting on its structure and getting close to whatever grows and lives there. The water in the tidal square allows for grades of encounters through its (lack of) accessibility and shelter for the animals.
