The Afsluitdijk dam, 32 km long, one of the most important engineering structures in the Netherlands, was built in 1932 and until 2010 remained the longest sea dam in the world; it also belongs to the few man-made objects that are visible from space. As a result of the construction of Afsluitdijk, Lake IJsselmeer emerged from the sea bay, which has since become fresh thanks to the influx of river water; on the other side of the dam is the Wadden Sea (Wadden Sea), part of the North Sea.
The Afsluitdijk project was created by Cornelis Lely, to whom a monument is erected there. Over the past decades, thanks to the dam's role in protecting against natural disasters and its impact on the country's “geography”, it has acquired the status of an important engineering monument and a great “emotional” value for the people of the Netherlands. Therefore, the renovation plan that Benthem Crouwel and West 8 drew up as the designers of the Levvel consortium involved in the renovation of Afsluitdijk is not just a utilitarian idea.
However, the main thing, of course, remains functionality. From the side of the sea, the dam will be reinforced with specially invented concrete blocks weighing 6.5 tons each, there will be a total of 75,000 pieces. They are extremely durable, wave-dampening and easy to install. During construction (due to start at the end of 2018), they will be delivered to the dam from the Harlingen port, where they will be made, a hundred a day. The installation will be carried out by a floating crane. The uniform appearance of the blocks should visually emphasize the stability of the Afsluitdijk.
Two breakwaters will be built, the existing drainage sluices will be strengthened, new ones will be added to them, capable of discharging water from the lake into the sea both naturally and with the help of two powerful pumping stations. The stations are designed to be safe for fish and consume a minimum of energy, and all of it will be generated by solar panels installed on land at the western end of the dam with a total area of 2.7 hectares.
The four kilometers long canal crossing the Afsluitdijk will create an opportunity for fish migration between the sea and the lake. An "eco-zone" will be formed around it and everyone will be provided access to it. Given the importance and prominence of the dam itself, the beauty of the surroundings and their ecological uniqueness (the Wadden Sea - a World Heritage Site), special attention is paid to the opportunities for visitors. Another cycle path will be added to the existing one. The space around the observation tower will be improved according to the project of Willem Dudok, the pedestrian bridge will be moved further from it to emphasize the verticalism of this structure.
