The dance of dykes
Participants in a series of closed workshops are investigating the relationship between water management and rural and urban planning through the study of historical materials from Het Nieuwe Instituut's archive. On Friday 12 December, the urban planner Frits Palmboom and urbanism students from Delft University of Technology will present the results of the second workshop at a public closing event. The team has spent recent weeks researching the design process of the Houtribdijk, which Cornelis van Eesteren spent decades working on. The meeting will conclude with a discussion of how the dyke's future can connect with its past.
12 December 2014 15:00 - 17:00
Houtribdijk
The Houtribdijk was meant as a coastline that would protect the new land of the Markerwaard polder. But the Markerwaard was never drained, and the dyke has been neglected. Nevertheless, as a link between northern Noord-Holland and the central and eastern parts of the Netherlands, it has played a prominent role in the infrastructural development of the IJsselmeer region. The dyke's design and production interact in particular ways with the physical characteristics of the location and the experience of the landscape. It does not meet today's safety standards, however, and requires modernisation. A new vision for the area around the dyke will be sought in the coming years as part of the research programme of the Van Eesteren chair, held by Frits Palmboom.
Workshop
In recent weeks, supervised by Palmboom, students have conducted research on the Houtribdijk's design process using the archives of Het Nieuwe Instituut and the Nieuw Land heritage centre in Lelystad. Central questions have included: Why was the Houtribdijk planned as it was? Which steps led Van Eesteren to his definitive design? Which knowledge from other fields did he incorporate in the design process? And which lessons does it suggest for the future?
Closing meeting
The presentation of research findings will be followed by a discussion of how the dyke's future can connect with its past. The new plan for the Houtribdijk will require a landscape design vision, an understanding of the ecosystem, and input from engineers. But it will also necessitate a reinterpretation of Van Eesteren's work.
The closing meeting and the preceding workshop comprise part of the Water & Urban Development project, an AAARO study of climate-adaptive design. A public opening event, featuring an introduction to the subject by Palmboom, took place on 7 November.