obscura reverse by ronald van der meijs

‘obscura reversa’ by roland van der meijs all images courtesy of roland van der meijs

on a busy main road in the drenthe province in the netherlands, is an architectural object marked by the transition from the area of

production landscape (agricultural and peat) to consumption landscape (tourism and recreation). entitled  ‘ obscura reversa,’ the work by

designer roland van der meijs refers to camera obscura, a early projective chamber and precursor to the photographic camera: the work, instead  alludes

to the history, structures and transformation of the moorlands and peat pervades the area. peat and its extraction have determined the

landscape of the province of drench on a large scale and made it habitable. an oak structure frame underlies a glazed skin and brass form

based on the veins of a leaf and meandering lines of a map. the fine grains of village cartography collapse with the transformation of the

decayed plant remains within peat in the landscape. the sculpture’s glass container faces a nearby highway and allows the work to further

incorporate the presence of contemporary infrastructure.

the oak construction has a free overhang of 9 meters.

the tail of the oak construction refers to a bellows of a photo camera.

a small ramp allows visitors to enter the inside of the structure.

on the side near de N34 highway, the roofline is very low so one can concentrate on the glass container when one enters the structure

detail of the peat panels with epoxy resin.

 the oak bones also draw from the traditional agricultural roof structures so prevalent in the production landscape, in particular when clad with epoxy-lined peat discs. the peat tiles are all spaced slightly apart so the light can shine through them. on the inside of the roof

whimsical lines of light show abstractions of the drainage systems and subdivision of the moorlands which resulted in peat production.

both the oak construction as the peat discs transformed by the weather conditions–after rain storm, the peat and oak are dark, rich hues,

while dried again with years of sun, these materials lighten in color and become moss-covered testaments to changing landscape and

the micro-worlds within them. 

details of the oak structure beams connected with steel construction knots 

daylight drives through the gaps between the peat

view from within the structure onto the glass container and the N34 highway.

a closer look on the abstract brass structure in the glass container

view of the decorative form that draws from a leaf skeleton and abstraction of drain channels in the moorlands.

project info: 

designer : ronald van der meijsproduction: ronald van der meijsclient: drenthe province, CBK drenthe, taak (former SKOR)curators: nils van beek, monica boekholtmaterials: oak wood beams, concrete, peat, epoxy resin, brass, glass, metal and lexan sheet.size: hight 4,2 m, length 12 m, wide 3,5 mcompletion: march 2013location: parking area Vogelpoel at the N34 highway near coevorden, netherlands