The Wadden coast awakes

The people of Groningen and Friesland are ignoring their Wadden coast. They hardly benefit from the landscape’s unique characteristics. And they are not well-positioned to exploit the opportunities arising from climate change and other developments. To change this, Atelier Friesland has asked BoschSlabbers to develop a vision for the Groningen Wadden coast, as part of a comprehensive vision for the entire northern Wadden coast. The vision focuses on three tracks: Adding Suspence, Stringing Threads and Growing Pearls.

Adding Suspence

Suspence is added with the enhancement of user quality on two locations: the un-tamed Lauwerszee, using the issue of water safety to create a dynamic tidal landscape with opportunities for leisure and ecology, and the Waddenland Museum. In addition, the creation of WadLaB Delfzijl-Eemshaven, situated between a decommissioned dike and its replacement inland dam. The WadLaB is a laboratory for large scale experiments in innovative saline agriculture and coastal defence.

Stringing Threads

Threads are strung by the development of attractive links between the city and the coast. The threads revitalise longstanding cultural-historical structures like the Stadsweg (a road) and the Reitdiep (a canal). The project restores its missing elements, leading the visitor along existing ‘meeting points’ and cultural-historical ‘objets trouvé’ to special locations along the Wadden coast.

Growing Pearls

Pearls are grown by polishing up existing ones and developing new ones. As such, local campsites, B&B’s, coffee houses, farm manors and antiquities’ rooms regain significance as part of a greater whole.

For an impression of the project’s end results click here.