Framing the landscape. An architectural proposal for experiencing the Wadden Sea Islands

The Wadden Sea region is the existing and former tidal flat area fringing the southern shore of the North Sea in Western Europe. This coastal land is an international region extending over three countries - the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Wadden Sea is an unique Unesco natural area for Europe and the whole world. A visit to Wadden Sea and to the islands becomes a way of experience the passage of time, dictated by nature - by the infinite interaction between the sun and the moon, by the cyclical presence of the Wadden species and by the daily variations of the weather. The specific Wadden ecology involves the visitor into the natural time and keeps him distant from the general time presence of the mainland. Any new intervention to the Wadden Sea and its coast should be considered very critically in order to save the spontaniety and wilderness of the place and to be fully synchronized with the natural rhythm of the place, having the possibilities to respond and adapt to the different passages of time and to reflect both the dynamic and timeless changes of the landscape. The Wadden Sea waterfront remains vulnerable to the non constant sea level in the different time periods of the year and the further development of its functional program should be subdued to this. The presence of the water in the place and its future retaining can be considered the base for new touristic and local attractions. A change in the general strategy for protecting from the water by building solid barriers is required. The future targets should be set on developing a porous boundary between land and sea, adapting to the sea, re-discovering of its potential so to keep into the future the spirit of the original traditions from the past. From the overall monitoring of the Wadden Sea zone, the research focuses on the Dutch Wadden Sea islands since of the defining of certain potentialies. This part of the protected zone has the mildest climate conditions, moderate tidal ranges and the richest biodiversity and animal species. The researches predict shrinkage of the local population in the zone, as happened already in German and Danish part of the Wadden Sea area. However, well-timed introduction of new strategies for providing more employment possibilities, extending the toursitic season, creating new touristic and local attractions synchronized with the high natural value of the zone, could transform Dutch Wadden Sea part into a thriving home location with stronger economical future. The project is developed as a possible scenario for any of the Dutch Wadden Sea islands and at the same time responds to the specific demands and potentialities of the Vlieland island. The project aims to give practical solution of the existing issues as quality of the space, touristic attractiveness, waterfront potentialities, accessibility, as well as providing fully understanding of the uniqueness of the zone and giving freedom to the visitors and local people to unfold, discover by themselves the landscape and to submerge fully into the nature. The new intervention and design will target the touristic sector as the main field of employment as well as imporving quality of life of the local islanders. Vlieland possesses the richest nature and topography of all the islands and all the attraction points are within walkable distances since its small area. This gives the possibility to devolope a full program for framing the landscape and experiencing the island into various situations.