Landscape Art Route at De Lingewaard

Together with architect Rolf Reichardt, Urban Matter entered into a competition to design follies as part of an art route running through the landscape of the Lingewaard. The objective of the competition is to have people come and visit the area for its unique combination of art, industrial history, landscape and water.



Enclosed between the river 'De Waal' and the 'Pannerdensch Canal' splitting off, the Lingewaard is a historical and protected landscape. The area is well known for its unusual, though succesfull symbiosis between nature and the historical monuments of the ever present brick industry. In the process of brick making, clay is taken from the river, moulded in to different shapes and sizes, stacked into specific piles and then baked in big tunnel shaped ovens near the river.

The team submitted 2 proposals, both of wich were selected to be built.
Proposal one: Carpet over the Crane Bridge

At the Northern bank of  the river 'De Waal' near one of  the brick factories stand the remnants of an old crane bridge. Here freight ships were unloaded of their raw materials and bricks were loaded onto them again for transport. A carpet of bricks unfolds itself on top of the 7 masonry abutments, extending down into the river. With this gesture an opertunity is created where one can repose and connect to the river. Part of the brick production process is reflected by the pattern of the brick carpet wich is the same pattern used to stack the bricks before they go inside the oven. This frozen waterfall of bricks celebrates the cultural meaning of craftsmanship. Simultaneously it humorously places the occupations of man in perspective of eternity.


Proposal two:  Spelonkel

Illustrative text:
As we were walking towards the object we started speculating about what it could be. We paused for a moment and from a distance we gazed at the peculiar object. In a scene of back-light I saw kids climbing the object. Their silhouettes moving above a cloud of flickering reflections on the surface of the water.

It must have lost its purpose long ago. It had probably been a small building or so, now a remnant of the brick making industry of the early days. So specific that it couldn't withstand the dynamics of change. Abandonned.. because work should go on.

In time the landscape had been changed by the river and the object had tumbled into the shallows. In silence I thought: 'Eventually the river will make it disappear. Patiently the water will grind it down to grains of sand. In the outer bends of the river it will sink and return to the land.'


Close up of Spelonkel


Plan of Spelonkel


Locations

Project data:

Name: Landcape Art Route at Lingewaard - The Netherlands
Team: Rolf Reichardt, Jasper Hermans
Program: Follies
Location: De Lingewaard, The Netherlands
Project year: 2009
Client: Stichting Honderdmorgen
Photographs and images: Rolf Reichardt & Urban Matter