Historical Data compiled for analysis of Walcheren, Zeeland Providence, The Netherlands
The first week that LSU Landscape Architecture Study Abroad class arrived in Holland, we were able to commence a workshop charette with the Landscape Architecture and Architecture students at the Technical University of Delft and the Professor, Han Meyer. The main focus throughout this design project was within realm of urban design. Our site location was revealed to be Walcheren. The beginning day of the workshop consisted of an overview of Walcheren and the emphasis of the three towns to focus, which included: Westkapelle, Zoutelande, and Vlissingen. The following day was a site visit along the coast, which allowed us as class and individuals to determine the final analysis of the landscape. The analysis is complied and an interpretation of the data is presented from each student. The analysis and interpretation is considered to be the keystone on which a design is developed. The purpose of this section is to provide background information, historical data, and convey the analysis, which was compiled in the workshop, explaining the results of interpretation by students, by groups, and by class.
FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2
Walcheren is located within the Providence of Zeeland. Of all the Dutch providences, none experiences more damage from the wrath of the water. Today, it is characterized as one of the locations of threat along the Netherlands Coast. The lakes and rivers slice the landscape into islands and peninsulas giving its communities an isolated notion. The name Zeeland implies is inextricably linked with water and the sea. From the earliest times, the power of the North Sea and the flooding of deltas of the Maas and Schelde rivers have shaped the landscape, encouraging resilience in the inhabitants and the desire to control the elements.
FIGURE 3
Throughout the existence of the island it has continually changed in shape. In the time of 1250, it was actually a single island off the coast. Throughout time, the island has actually evolved into a peninsula through the reclamation of land from the sea (Figure 3 – Figure 6). Walcheren is the result of century-long work on a “hard” coastal defense. Today, Arcadis, a global engineering firm, is working to develop and design innovative ways to protect the lands. Arcadis presented all of the historical data and the initial introduction of Walcheren. The company has been working with this landscape for several years. The towns of focus being Westkapelle, Zoutelande, and Vlissingen was ideal due to the threat they held resulting from the rising water levels and the incoming storms from the North Sea. The goal was to introduce or propose through the design process is to develop new innovative and conceptual ideas to reduce the threat. The project required the student teams to develop “innovative ideas [about] how to design new waterfronts using technical, spatial and economic instruments” with the added charge to reinforce the cultural relationships between the study areas and the waterfronts. Solutions should be designed to protect the whole coast from Vlissingen to Westkapelle and enhance the identities of the towns. ARCADIS representatives instructed students to develop unique strategies to combine coastal defense, town identity, and economic possibilities.
FIGURE 4 FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6
Within Zeeland, the delta landscape can be divided into six landscapes along the coast. The distinguished landscapes include: 1) Dune Villages are created in the as of yet safe shelter of the dunes and are in economic sense oriented at sea. 2) Villages encircling a church are not actually oriented towards the sea, but are characteristic for the estuarine coastal landscape, through which numerous creek ridges run. Subsiding polder land created the higher level of the ridges. And, these ridges inversely created the country lanes. 3) Ports have developed along the creeks, which discharge into the long reach of the sea. 4) Villages located perpendicular to the dike is the result of strict regulations from the Polder Board with the regard to dikes management control. 5) Key cities generated around ports and villages with streets perpendicular to the dikes. However, the ports have been closed off due to deposits of the large waters. 6) Holiday villages have developed immediately along the coast and waterside, thank to the closing off the sea arms and the Delta Works.
Walcheren appears to be more stable than it actually is. The island has continued to evolve into what it has become today. The force of the natural elements, which include: the storms, the constantly rising sea level, the tide, and the winds, are the factors which are directly linked to the significant changes of the shoreline. The dunes have been slowly subsiding and washing away due to the fierce west and southwest storms. Therefore, throughout the years the coastal defense of the island changes and shifts with the water has left several spaces along the coastline unprotected. Therefore, in order to design a innovative defense, the understanding of the elements in this area and their affects is crucial. Below is a sequence of diagrams, which show the changes in the land by the reclamation from the sea.
FIGURE 7 FIGURE 8
FIGURE 9 FIGURE 10
Each of the three towns is located along the southwest coast of Walcheren. Overtime, changes in the forced changes from each town economically. The identities the towns once lived by were no longer able to hold true. A new economic foundation had to be determined for each location. This once again was in direct result to the constant affects of the natural elements which rendered each town in constant change and unstable. The changes and growths of Westkapelle, Zoutelande, and Vlissingen are listed and explained for each individual town in the following narratives. These elements were many of the issues, which were attempted to be resolved throughout the design process.
Westkapelle
Westkapelle is the northern most towns on Walcheren. The most impressive element of this town is the sea wall, and the history it holds is fascinating. In former times, this town lay securely behind dunes, but these were washed away in the 15th century. This meant that the access route to the island had been altered through the storms, rising tides, winds and sea currents. At this point, a dike was constructed, which was completed in 1458. It is also know for the historical events that were result of WWII. In 1944, the dike was bombed and breeched by allies in order to flood Walcheren so it could be liberated. The water intake was repaired and the remains of this breech can be viewed from the lake, which still remains. Westkapelle was not a harbor town, but it holds a historical reputation for fishing. It also holds a very religious background of Protestant. The boats were beached instead of locating them in a harbor. The dike in this town generates a significant disconnect from the sea. The houses are also positioned with the back of the house facing the sea. Presented with the historical background and developing an analysis from that data, we as a class were able to determine that the town of Westkapelle and the inhabitants are considered to have “turned their back” on the sea. Therefore, a conclusion of can be developed that the town is actually “defending” itself from the sea.
Zoutelande
Zoutelande is located between Vlissingen and Westkapelle. It is considered to the town that brings in the most tourists. There is a very large beach front throughout the town’s coastline. Therefore, it has developed and evolved into a recreational or vacation oriented town. There are generally many people on the beach, including tourists, surfers, and artists. It is one of the only towns that today contain houses that have been constructed in the dune areas. From the location of the houses along and in the dunes, it can be implied that there is not a complete separation from the sea as that which existed in Westkapelle. It holds a history of attracting artists and painters to the town due to the existing groins extending into the water along the majority of the beachside. The groins themselves were 18th Century engineering design to retain and build the shoreline. The artist would visit this town to capture the aesthetic quality of the groins, coastline, sea, and dunes. The groins hold a strong relationship to the history of the Dutch identity and culture. The town has strived for years to maintain and reconstruct the dunes along the shore. Today, the town has constructed a boulevard along the backside of the dunes, which contain vistas points from locations along the top of the dunes. This reconnects the town with the sea again, and perhaps generates views that the artists once captured. There is also a nature preserve just south along the coast of this town. It appeared to present more ecologically based enhancements than Westkapelle and Vlissingen. Therefore, the majority of the proposals from the student’s workshop were geared more towards the possibilities of the enhancement of the ecological components this town presented.
Vlissingen
Vlissingen is probably the first Dutch city where a hard coastal defense was erected. The construction for the dike occurred around 1439. Vlissingen is located at the southern most point of the Walcheren Peninsula. It has always been a town of great military significance. The harbor was a naval base during the period of WWII. Therefore, there are several WWII historical monumental markers throughout the town and surrounding areas of the military force post. Vlissingen can be considered to be one of the most modernized towns along the coast, but at the same time holds a large amount of history. The town grew aggressively in the 20th Century. Today, it is a flourishing town that attracts tourists to experience the historical aspects of the town, the beachfront, and the cultural uniqueness. This town also attracts many retirees to relocate. There are approximately forty-five thousand inhabitants and it does not seem to be increasing, and in fact, there is speculation that the overall population may be decreasing. It was considered to have three waterfronts throughout the town including the beach, the harbor, and the shipyards. Once an important ship building industry dominated the harbor. This industry has shifted to a new location several miles to the east of the old harbor location. The abandoned building still remains in the old harbor and represents a potential new set of economic activities, which is yet to be defined. Tourists are present in the town two to three months out of the year. This town has the longest period of daylight, the least amount of rain, and considered to be the windiest in the Netherlands.
