West 8, in collaboration with IPV Delft, designed 33 bridges and 13 pumping-stations for the new Noordwaard. The Noordwaard is one of the key areas of the National Dutch project Ruimte voor de Rivier (Room for the River). This ​​4450ha polder is one of 39 locations holding great strategic significance for the water management of the main rivers of The Netherlands and for the safety of more than 4 million people. By ‘depoldering’ the Noordwaard, the area can be inundated to function as a dedicated water detention district. This way, excess water can be quickly discharged from the rivers into the sea.

Bridges

The bridges include 24 Creek Bridges, 6 Dike (embankment) Bridges and 3 Steurgat Bridges. Each bridge adorns a seemingly unassuming appearance and a gentle curvature to elevate above the horizon and is designed to keep with the understated beauty of the Dutch pastoral landscape. Sleek and sober detailing, special bronze finishes and extended decorative bird sticks give the bridges their unique character.

The bridges facilitate public access to the depoldered area, allowing the community to connect with new landscape and providing new opportunities for recreation within the long-term sustainable water management strategy.

Pumping stations

The pumping stations, vertical elements in the flat landscape, are mainly constructed from the bricks of demolished farmhouses. Three of them offer stunning 360 degree panoramic views of the vast new landscape.