Specific to the Biesbosch
The museum uses many resources
water through a newly dug creek.
available in the area, not only for its
The tides and seasonal variations in
energy supply and water treatment,
water levels can be clearly experienced
but also for the menu in the microbrew
thanks to the gentle slope of the banks
restaurant. Moreover, the museum can
along the creek. The slopes also create a
count on the commitment of dozens of
rich diversity of flora and fauna, so that
volunteers, many of whom have worked
every visit to the island will be different.
in the Biesbosch in the past. Even most of
A meandering path provides access to
the contractors and construction workers
the island, which continuously changes
involved in the redevelopment come
in appearance because of the changing
from the immediate area.
water levels.
The Biesbosch has a rich history in
Biesbosch Experience
harvesting and processing natural
materials and is bio-based avant la lettre.
The museum therefore provides space for
art, preferably made of natural materials
from the Biesbosch itself, in the new wing
and on the island.
Section
Midway through the last century,
the impressive sturgeon and salmon
disappeared from the waters of the
Biesbosch. With the opening of the
Haringvliet locks and the cleaner water
in the river, the likelihood of a return of
these distinctive species has increased.
The 'Biesbosch Experience' will be realized
on the Museum Island in the spring of
2016. This scale model of the Biesbosch,
with polders, dikes and streams, explains
the water management function and
importance of the area when water levels
are high. Within a half-hour cycle, the
water changes from ‘extremely low’ to
‘extremely high’. Children and adults are
able to alter the course of the water by
operating various kinds of locks.
Diagram
De Pannekoek Open-Air Museum
The indoor pond at the restaurant hints at
The open-air museum on the other side
the return of the sturgeon.
of the river features a wood of willows
Freshwater Tidal Park
46 Landscape & Urban Design Issue 17
park on the island that receives river
called a ‘griend’where visitors can step
back in time. Visitors can also see a duck
The Museum Island, which will be realized
decoy, a hut made of willows and reeds,
in the spring of 2016, is a freshwater tidal
and a beaver lodge.