Public art installation as city landmark

Compiled by Team IAnD

Photography: Courtesy MVRDV

Read Time: 2 mins

Visualisation©MVRDV

“The SeaSaw for Den Helder is a memorable, undulating public art installation, which responds to its context and history, whilst literally representing the dynamics of the sea in its infinite movement,” says Jacob van Rijs, co-founder, MVRDV.

As home to the country’s main naval base, the city of Den Helder sits on a unique location at the northernmost point of Holland and is a zany tourist spot with its many beaches. As the winning entry from an international competition by Zeestad, an independent organisation in partnership with the municipality of Den Helder, MVRDV’s design of this public art project ‘SeaSaw’, does not just mark the connection between sea and city, but as the jury stated, “demonstrates the energetic spirit of the city as an infinite form.”

  

Visualisation©MVRDV

The design responds to the current lack of a distinguishable symbol for Den Helder. A town with a remarkable flood defence system, a dike running from the dunes to the harbour blocks sea views. SeaSaw makes a new connection between land and water by creating a viewing platform on the dike, and by the sea. In this way, a relationship between Den Helder and the sea is formed. This new installation signals the start of renewal and rediscovery of the dike and its surroundings with a new landmark that matches the identity of Den Helder: tough and energetic.

 

Visualisation©MVRDV

In addition to the design of SeaSaw, a scenic 5-km walking, cycling and hiking route is introduced across the dike to connect it better to both the city and sea and visitors can walk in either direction in this public art installation.  Activating the seafront, this weaving pathway invites visitors and resident to climb the dike and look at the other side. At the junction of these routes, SeaSaw is added in the form of an infinite loop that serves as a viewing platform towards the city and sea.

Visualisation©MVRDV

“The installation respects the existing dike whilst allowing visitors and inhabitants to experience both city and sea from a whole new perspective,” concludes Jacob van Rijs, co-founder, MVRDV.

MVRDV will work with IMD engineers and completion is set for 2019. 

Fact File:

Client: Zeestad and the municipality of Den Helder

Design: MVRDV - Winy Maas, Jacob Van Rijs and Nathalie De Vries

Design Team: Jacob van Rijs, Stefan de Koning with Ronald Hoogeveen, Sanne van der Burgh, Geert Folmer, Stavros Gargaretas, Boudewijn Thomas, Mariya Gyaurova, Akshey Krishna Venkatesh, Afrodite Moustroufis, Angel Sanchez Navarro, Boris Tikvarski, Edina Peli, Kristin Schaefer, Katarzyna Nowak, Kevin Loftus, Luca Vacchini, Mirco Facchinelli and Meng Yang

Visualisation: Antonio Luca Coco, Tomaso Maschietti, Giovanni Coni and Kirill Emelianov

Partners: IMd Consulting engineers: ir. Pim Peters RO and ir. Sander Lamping 

Location: Den Helder, The Netherlands

Year: 2018+