Netherlands Army Museum and Netherlands Air Force Museum Landscape Design, by H+N+S Landscape Architects in the Former Airbase Soesterberg, the Netherlands. War is a painful, devastating, and dynamic situation. Maintaining the memory of such events is hard, yet necessary in order to protect the next generations from repeating the mistakes of the past. This should be the purpose of a war museum nowadays. The landscape design for the Netherlands Army Museum and the Netherlands Air Force Museum sheds a new light on the concept of memory and provides a new perception regarding our notions of war, history, and the armed forces.
Netherlands Army Museum and Netherlands Air Force Museum
The complex that houses both museums is located in the facilities of a former military airbase called Soesterberg. The location bears traces of World War II history and NATO use, and also maintains important natural qualities. What is truly fascinating about this project is that what once used to be part of the military facilities has been restored into a natural reservoir. It appears as if nature has taken its toll over human action. The museum complex seen from above seems to have been invaded by the adjacent forest and heath. This coexistence forms a dynamic relationship between the building and its surroundings, which gives more emphasis to the museums’ character.
The intervention has dealt with the following issues:- Forming the museums’ surroundings as well as interesting vistas toward the landscape from the building’s interior, also serving to complement the museums’ exhibitions.
- Creating access to the museum complex.
- Preserving and restoring the important traces of the military base.
- Allocating a monument, a memorial garden, and a 3,000-person arena.
- Restoring the 45-hectare area and creating a sustainable sylvan ecosystem.
The museum complex is divided into three terraces. Each terrace has a special function. The top of the hill is a natural landmark surrounded by a heath valley. On the middle terrace — where the visitor arrives — the history of the area is displayed. The museum complex itself has been situated near the runways. The arena is on the lowest level, and there is a memorial area with garden and plaza on the east side.
Preserving History Through Design The structure of the former military base has been preserved. Elements such as the gabions wall that was originally used for military purposes now forms part of the retaining walls. Crumbled remnants of a hangar entry platform have been left onsite to recall a trace of the past. This gesture gives destruction an almost poetic dimension. A new interpretation of military elements redeems them from their former role and invents a new use for them. Related Articles:- Beautiful Plaza Celebrates Canadian Landscape
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Netherlands Army Museum and Netherlands Air Force Museum
This project has managed to reveal beauty where beauty was hard to find. It has not evaded the context and the history of the place, nor did it turn away from the negative tension that the memory of war bears. The Netherlands Army Museum and the Netherlands Air Force Museum Landscape Design has taken context, history, nature, and landscape narrative a step further. Recommended Reading:
- 100 Landmarks of the World: A Journey to the Most Fascinating Landmarks Around the Globe by Parragon Books
- Public Art: Theory, Practice and Populism by Cher Krause Knight
Article by Eleni Tsirintani Return to Homepage
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