‘bunker 599’ by atelier de lyon and RAAAF all images courtesy atelier de lyon and RAAAF
‘bunker 599’ by dutch firms atelier de lyon and RAAAF is a project which lays bare two secrets of the new dutch waterline (NDW), a military line of defense in use from 1815 until 1940 protecting the cities of muiden, utrecht, vreeswijk and gorinchem by means of intentional flooding. a seemingly indestructible bunker with monumental status is sliced open. the design thereby opens up the minuscule interior of one of ndw’s 700 bunkers, the insides of which are normally cut off from view completely. in addition, a long wooden boardwalk cuts through the extremely heavy construction. it leads visitors to a flooded area and to the footpaths of the adjacent natural reserve. the pier and the piles supporting it remind them that the water surrounding them is not caused by e.g. the removal of sand but rather is a shallow water plain characteristic of the inundations in times of war.
the sliced up bunker forms a publicly accessible attraction for visitors of the NDW. it is moreover visible from the a2 highway and can thus also be seen by tens of thousand of passers-by each day. the project is part of the overall strategy of RAAAF / atelier de lyon to make this unique part of dutch history accessible and tangible for a wide variety of visitors.
the original structure
the opening ceremony
construction process
cutting section of bunker
project info:
project: bunker 599 client: DLG (the dutch service for land and water management) designers: RAAAF / atelier de lyon location: diefdijk – highway a2 (amsterdam – den bosch) status: realization 2010
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cee boyd May 30, 2013 Alby Oct 23, 2010 sara Oct 22, 2010 mamajane Oct 21, 2010 Galls1983 Oct 20, 2010 mandy Oct 19, 2010 Javier Oct 19, 2010 Pete Oct 18, 2010
more commentsSo much effort spent on the original structure for what? Is this what society has to offer as its contribution to a better world? I can appreciate the effort expended to make it “accessible” the the common man, but really, to what end? This is no different than the Sigfried/Mangenau Line, SAC, the Soviet counter-parts to Cold-war stupidity. Is this all that we can leave for future generations? Maybe it’s time for the human race to become extinct, if we’ve not already.
it would be interesting see how they actually did that!
did they cut it with a circular saw?
simply poetic!!
a great combination when imagination serves to heighten awareness as well as create something beautiful out of something not so beautiful.
I agree with Mandy. It immediately creates a feeling in your stomach.
This draws you in and creates such emotion. A gut feeling.
Pura inteligencia conceptual. Maravillosa ejecución artística.
Amazing!!! Reminds me of Gordon Matta Clark!