High-profile Dutch architecture firm MVRDV has revealed plans for an unusual art installation/public viewing platform in the city of Den Helder, the Netherlands. Bringing to mind an oversized seesaw (or teeter-totter), the structure will gently rock backward and forward.
The project, named SeaSaw for obvious reasons, will measure 52.5 m (172 ft)-long and be integrated into the area's existing sea defenses, as well as a planned walking, cycling and hiking route. Its rocking movement is envisioned as a response to the movement of the waves.
We contacted MVRDV for more on how the structure would move, and the firm told us that it's still deciding on what approach it will take but that its movement will not be triggered by the weight of the people on it. However, the movement will be linked to the sea's tidal levels somehow.
Potential ideas include some kind of electrical/mechanical system that makes use of plungers, as well as shifting the weight of the structure using water and pumps. However, MVRDV was keen to emphasize that these are still just ideas and may not end up being implemented.
"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 MVRDV co-founder Jacob van Rijs. "The installation respects the existing dike whilst allowing visitors and inhabitants to experience both city and sea from a whole new perspective."
The project is the result of an architectural competition and is due to be completed in 2019. Check out the short video below to see how it will move.
Source: MVRDV