Hidden Ground: It Goddeloas Fiersicht by NEXT Architects

On the path bearing the name of the Noardelike Fryske Wâlden landscape, NEXT Architects have cooperated with artist Paul Edens to conceive the lookout tower It Goddeloas Fiersicht. Today’s hiking trail was created in 1453 as a path between the monasteries in Dokkum and Drachten; in the Middle Ages, the monks used it as a trade route.

On the current land surrounding the Noardelike Fryske Wâlden, cultural history combines with natural elements. Pingos, which are hills of earth that arise in permafrost, bear witness to the influence of the ice age. This is the starting point for It Goddeloas Fiersicht, whose round shape calls to mind the typical pingo form. Like geological drilling through time, NEXT Architects have brought the original earth of the Noardelike Fryske Wâlden back to the surface inside the tower. Drilling as deep as 5 to 7 metres, the project team worked several layers into the earth.

It Goddeloas Fiersicht reunites the past and the present, the hidden and the visible. On the plateau, visitors enjoy a panoramic view over the Noardelike Fryske Wâlden. At the same time, they experience the ground surface of the past that has been revealed.

Further information:  Team: Bart Reuser, Marijn Schenk, Michel Schreinemachers with Wiebe Strick, Mark Jongerius, Klaas van Olphen, Geert Durk de Jong, Douwe Strating, Stelios Polyviou, Eilish Camplisson and Marta Lata
Advisor construction: Bouw-Construct (Jan Wielenga)
Advisor ecology: ALTENBURG&WYMENGA (Eddy Wymenga)
Main contractor: G. de Haan & Zn
Contractor: Noppert Beton