Dikes in Focus Steffen Nijhuis
Steffen Niihuis
Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delfl University of Technolo
T h e dike as a landscape element takes on many shapes. Depending on t h e i r f o r m and location, dikes d e t e r m i n e the 'face' of t h e Dutch p o l d e r landscape. O f c o u r s e vegetation, land allotment and buiiding deveiopment p a t t e r n s also play an i m p o r t a n t role. Yet dikes a r e vital t o the landscape's appearance: a p a r t f r o m t h e i r f o r m and location, t h e i r u n l n t e r r u p t e d n e s s defines spaces in a landscape and connects areas w i t h each other. Dikes make differences in the polder landscape legible: a dike in a r i v e r landscape is d i f f e r e n t f r o m one built in a s e a - c l a y o r peat landscape o r the area a r o u n d t h e IJsselmeer lake. Dikes t h e r e f o r e c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e i d e n t i t y and variety o f t h e landscape. They simultaneously provide c o h e r e n c e , a sense of space and a r i c h variety of appearances. But how do you get a g r i p on the dikes' spatial significance? The seminal publication Het toekomstig Zuiderzeepolders
Landschap
der
(literally, 'The f u t u r e landscape o f t h e Z u i d e r Zee p o l -
d e r s ' [ 1 9 2 8 ] ) provides s o m e leads. In this manifesto of Dutch landscape a r c h i t e c t u r e , planning e x p e r t s such as D. Hudig and T. van Lohuizen d e s c r i b e d t h e i m p o r t a n c e of dikes as follows: 'The dike is a significant element in every polder. L o c a t e d on the b o r d e r , it provides a view on one side o f t h e landscape at its f o o t , unfolding its p a r t i c u l a r s t r u c t u r e ; on t h e o t h e r side it p r o v i d e s a view o f t h e s u r r o u n d i n g land, which often has a completely d i f f e r e n t c h a r a c t e r . T h e long, b r o a d slope is one o f t h e dike's m o s t beautiful f e a t u r e s (...)'. F r o m this, it can be i n f e r r e d t h a t a dike's spatial significance depends on y o u r vantage point, on the p e r s p e c t i v e you choose f o r reading and understanding dikes in the landscape. T h e r e a r e at least t w o d i f f e r e n t ways of looking at dikes: f r o m the air and f r o m the g r o u n d . In these vertical and horizontal p e r s p e c t i v e s f e a t u r e s such as the dike's sideways slope, c r o s s - s e c t i o n and r e v e t m e n t always play a diff e r e n t role.
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The View f r o m the Air
You get a bird's eye view o f t h e dike system r e g a r d l e s s of w h e t h e r you view it f r o m t h e a i r o r on a map. It becomes clear t h a t dikes f o r m spatial p a t t e r n s that endow the landscape w i t h s t r u c t u r e . They provide cohesion in t h e landscape and a r e also t h e interface between land and w a t e r , o r between d i f f e r e n t polders t h a t a r e enclosed as spatial units. Dikes ' f r a m e ' different types of landscape and landscape units. Like the black lines t h a t s e p a r a t e t h e p i c t u r e s in a c o m i c book, the dikes a r e the g r e e n lines t h a t d e m a r c a t e t h e Dutch landscape. This also means t h a t dikes a r e c o n n e c t ing s t r u c t u r e s : t h r o u g h cities and nature, they meander e v e r y w h e r e and connect the coast w i t h the hinterland. This is significant, not only f o r plants and animals but also f o r humans. Dike p a t t e r n s also make the history of reclamation in the p o l d e r r e a d able: in Friesland, f o r example, you can see an i n t r i c a t e , i r r e g u l a r p a t t e r n of dikes and quays, an echo o f t h e early individual reclamation t h a t f r o m the t i m e o f t h e Romans gradually developed into r i n g dikes; you can d i s c e r n the haphazard p r o c e s s of diking a c c r e t e d silted soil in Zeeland, and the systematic reclamation of t h e West—Frisian and H o l l a n d - U t r e c h t peat lands t h a t s t a r t e d in the early Middle Ages. T h e r i n g dikes m a r k the areas of r e c l a i m e d land t h a t have lain low in the landscape since the sixt e e n t h century. Dike p a t t e r n s a r e a r e c o r d o f t h e f o r m a t i v e f o r c e of w a t e r a n d t h e way humans have dealt w i t h it. Natural p r o c e s s e s of s e d i mentation, erosion and stagnation t h r o u g h w a t e r provide the foundation f o r a r i c h variety o f p o l d e r landscapes in the coastal, r i v e r and peat lands. Dikes also r e f l e c t technological p r o g r e s s , such as the Delta w o r k s , the Afsluitdijk*" (the enclosing dam o f t h e IJsselmeer) and land reclamation in the IJsselmeer area. In a nutshell, the shape of a dike makes it possible t o read how we have dealt w i t h w a t e r : f r o m the s m a l l - s c a l e and winding in early times t o the very l a r g e - s c a l e and rectilinear today.
The View f r o m the Ground
Viewing the dike f r o m the g r o u n d means you stand on o r next t o the dike o r see it f r o m a distance. H e r e , conditions affecting visual p e r c e p t i o n such as vantage point, the viewer's elevation and viewing d i r e c t i o n , m o v e ment, and t h e w e a t h e r play an i m p o r t a n t role. T h e interplay between the dike's sideways slope, s t r u c t u r e and r e v e t m e n t d e t e r m i n e its spatial s i g nificance at eye level. In the field, dikes a r e spatial b o r d e r s : they d e t e r m i n e the f o r m o f t h e landscape, t h e t w o - and t h r e e - d i m e n s i o n a l composition of vertical elements that define the landscape space. T h e composition d e t e r m i n e s the scale, p r o p o r t i o n , o r i e n t a t i o n and significance o f t h e space. Every dike has its own specific c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , w i t h f o r m c r e a t i n g the connection between a landscape's history and o u r spatial experience. A p a r t f r o m t h e . sideways slope, t h e c r o s s - s e c t i o n and r e v e t m e n t a r e also i m p o r t a n t . The dike c r o s s - s e c t i o n d e s c r i b e s t h e dike's height, the angle of inclination of its slope, and the w i d t h o f t h e c r e s t and the t o e . This is i m p o r t a n t because a high, steep dike c r e a t e s a different spatial effect f r o m , say, a gently sloping wide dike. W h e r e a s a steep dike makes a spatial b o r d e r palpable, a dike w i t h a gentle slope tones it down. W h e t h e r a dike is
Life behind the Dikes The Rhine— Meuse Delta is a densely—populated area of the Netherlands; in 2014 an estimated 9.4 million people inhabited these low-lying regions ofthe country. Any large—scale flood may put these inhabitants and their property at risk from high water.
r e v e t t e d with stones o r only w i t h g r a s s also plays a role. T h e r e v e t m e n t is an indication o f t h e function and use o f t h e dike's inside and outside, and it can c r e a t e visual continuity or, in fact, c o n t r a s t . Trees r e i n f o r c e the three—dimensional effect o f t h e dike but due t o technical considerations they cannot always be planted. Standing on a dike is like standing on a landscape balcony w i t h s w e e p ing views on either side — s t r e t c h e s of w a t e r o r polder, o r both. IVlovement plays an i m p o r t a n t role in how we experience these landscapes because t h e r e a r e often r o a d s o r c y c l e - p a t h s on t o p o f t h e dikes. Seen f r o m the c a r o r bicycle, aspects o f t h e landscape succeed one a n o t h e r like a cinematic experience, as we float above the landscape. The s t r a i g h t o r curved c o u r s e o f t h e dike then provides variation o r calm and opens up perspectives on t h e landscape. H e r e , t o o , t h e cross—section s t r o n g l y affects spatial experience: if the road and c y c l e - p a t h a r e both located on the c r e s t , f o r example, t h e i r w i d t h m i g h t diminish the special experience o f t h e dike, w h e r e a s if the cycle—path is located on the dike's flank m o r e o f t h e dike remains. T h e dike's continuity makes the landscape's cohesion visible and c o n nects t h e local w i t h the s u p r a - r e g i o n a l : in the Rhine—Meuse r i v e r a r e a dikes follow the course o f the r i v e r s w i t h occasional s h a r p bends a r o u n d deep lakes that bear silent witness t o past dike b r e a c h e s ; in the peat lands dikes s u p p o r t a system of drainage lakes and cut t h r o u g h the l o w - l y i n g polder land; in the coastal a r e a dikes a r e like t h e layers of an onion, enfolding and m e r g i n g the land as it g r e w ; and the dikes in the young IJsselmeer p o l d e r s and the r i n g dikes a r o u n d the p o l d e r s of r e c l a i m e d lakes make it possible to experience t h e f o r m e r s t r e t c h e s of w a t e r as landscape spaces.
In Conclusion
Taken t o g e t h e r , these ways of looking c r e a t e a basis f o r a p p r o a c h i n g the dike f r o m a spatial p e r s p e c t i v e and endowing it w i t h aesthetic landscape qualities. Thus, if w o r k is c a r r i e d out on a dike attention must be paid not only t o safety and multifunctionality but also t o scenic beauty. Carefully designing a dike's sideways slope, c r o s s - s e c t i o n and r e v e t m e n t ensures its c o n t r i b u t i o n to the identity, spatial aspect and variation of a landscape. T h e design disciplines a r e vital here: landscape a r c h i t e c t s and urban planners play a key role in planning developments t h a t affect the l a n d scape, and they should t a k e the lead in developing the expertise and tools to f o r m u l a t e the dike as an object of spatial planning in a c o n t e x t of f u n c tionality and social e m b e d d i n g .
The Myth of Dutch Light Several Dutch and international awards were showered on the documentary Dutch Ught (2003) about the myth and reality of Dutch light, which owes its fame to paintings such as the landscapes of Van Ruysdael and the interiors of Vermeer. In their documentary, the film — makers constantly return to the dike between Marken and Monniokendam, where they spent an entire year recording what the light does with the landscape.
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CREDITS Concept and research
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W,F. Heemskerck D5ker: 4 - 5 B. van Eyck: 6 - 7 Public domain US, Nav/ Orleans
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USAGE-B[ackhaivk:e-9 A P / K y o d o News: 10-11 P. Hans: 38 J./^ugustino: 4 4 W. Moroder:44 Waterschap Noorderzijlvest: 60 M.J. Murdoch: 68 E. van't Hulfenaar: 70 De gebroeders Niestadt: SO
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Essays Eric-Jan Pleijster 1 2 - 1 3 , 3 4 , 3 8 , 42, 46, 48, 5 0 , 6 6 , 6 8 , 7 0 , 7 7 , 7 8 , 80, 81, 82, 8 3 , 8 5 , 8 6 , 8 7 , 89, 90, 91, 9 2 - 9 3 , 95, 96, 97, 98, 99,100,101,120,122, 140,147,148-149,150,151,152, 153,154,155,156-157,158, 159,160,161,162,163,164,165, 167,168,169,170,171,177,185, 186,188,189,190,191,192,195, 196, 2 0 5 , 210, 211, 212, 213, 215, 216, 217, 2 1 8 - 2 1 9 , 220, 2 2 1 , 222. 223, 2 2 4 - 2 2 5 , 227, 228, 229. 2 3 0 , 231. 232, 234, 242, 243, 246, 249, 250, 2 5 1 , 2 5 2 , 253, 255, 2 5 6 , 2 5 7 , 259. 260, 2 6 2 , 263, 265, 2 6 6 , 2 6 7 , 2 6 8 , 269, 271, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 2 7 8 - 2 7 9 , 2 8 4 , 288, 290, 293, 297. 303, 3 0 4 , 3 0 8 , 3 0 9 . 310, 311,314, 315. 3 1 8 , 3 2 0 , 3 2 1 , 324,325
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Eric Luiten, Tracy Metz, Steffen Nijhuis, Henk Ovink, Hans Renes Fcreivord
Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment Translation
Douglas Heingartner tntroduation. Dike Construction, Diks Typology and Le^ficon
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