Throughout history, maintenance the former Southern Sea coast has been a rather fluid affair. Regular flooding required constant readjustments to the dikes and relocation of buildings. In the area now outside the old IJsselmeerdijk, one can find the remnants of a bathhouse built by the people of Scharwoude. First, it was a wooden structure, taken apart after each season. Later a more permanent concrete structure was built to become the centre of summer activity. In a recent dike extension project the coastline was moved eastwards, leaving behind the obsolete ruins of the bathing pavilion.
The Panorama Scharwoude project has been developed in close cooperation with the people of Scharwoude village and transforms the former bathhouse into a meeting point and viewing platform. The existing platform becomes the foundation of a new wooden structure, which clings to the transverse walls of the former fitting rooms. The stairs take the visitor up to a view over the dikes, water and village.
Inspired by the history of the first wooden bathhouse, which was dismantled in winters, the design of the new structure is modular, following the rhythm of the former fitting rooms, and circular with its demountable detailing. The architecture refers to wooden elements of the original bathhouses and the dark weathered color of traditional tar paint used in coastal areas.
project - Panorama Scharwoude
program - viewpoint, meeting and event pavilion
location - Scharwoude Noord-Holland
status - awarded public architecture grant Cultuurfonds 2023, ongoing
client - Gemeente Koggenland
photography - Tim Stet (model)
published - Cultuurfonds, deArchitect, Architectenweb