#teamsbe design for competition ‘ICOON Terneuzen’

On Wednesday, we were told that our design had not been selected as one of the five best designs for the “ICOON Terneuzen” design competition. The five selected designs will now be presented to the residents of Terneuzen and to the people who contributed to the first “Story of the CIty” phase, after which people can vote on the designs. Despite not being selected, we are proud of our design. Please read our story below.

The ICOON of Terneuzen must function as a watchtower where everyone can learn about the strengths and characteristics of the city from a great height. For the design of the new watchtower, we focused upon three aspects which were discussed several times during the first phase.

Terneuzen is seen as a tough and bustling port city, surrounded by industries characterised by tightly managed infrastructures. The basic form of the building was also created from this perspective. The way in which the concrete walls are playfully interconnected gives the structure a tough yet refined and timeless look. The gentle inclination of the walls gives us the feeling that the structure is rising from the ground and floating above the surface of the water.
Reference is made to the old water tower of Terneuzen. The cylindrical shape, the imposing look and the materialisation of the water tower are elements which can be found in the new watchtower. The cylindrical shape is formed in the heart of the tower by the tactical positioning of the stairs incorporated in the outer wall and steel profiles connecting the ground to the upper level.
The myth of the Flying Dutchman and the fact that he originated from Terneuzen also served as an inspiration for the design of the new watchtower. Accordingly, the structure is positioned on the border of the land and the sea: as a transition area symbolising the gateway to eternal life at sea, as Captain Rooibos (the Flying Dutchman) had to pass through in the age-old story.