Dezeen · Creativity & design

Afsluitdijk Dam Revamped for Modern Flood Protection and Ecological Connectivity

Dutch studio Benthem Crouwel has completed a significant revamp of the Afsluitdijk, a historic 32-kilometer dam in the Netherlands. The project enhances the dam's resilience against extreme weather and rising sea levels while incorporating new ecological and recreational features.

The Afsluitdijk, originally built between 1927 and 1932, has been reinforced with concrete armour and raised by two meters to withstand a one-in-10,000-year storm. This overhaul ensures its continued function in protecting the Netherlands from storm surges and flooding.

A key addition is a 15-meter-wide passage that allows migratory fish to travel between the IJsselmeer lake and the Wadden Sea, restoring a vital ecological corridor that had been blocked for nearly a century.

The project also includes new pumping stations and discharge sluices to manage water flow, alongside storm surge barriers. Six new pumping stations are housed in visible four-meter-high domes.

A cycle and pedestrian route has been added along the Wadden Sea side of the dam, offering users a direct experience of its scale, while an existing route on the IJsselmeer side was maintained.

Benthem Crouwel aimed for simplicity in the design, ensuring that visible elements reveal the infrastructure's function and enhance the experience of the Afsluitdijk, keeping supporting technology discreet.

The revamp was developed since 2018 with construction partners BAM and Van Oord, and investors Rebel and Invesis, who will also maintain the project for 25 years.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.