THE BREDA EXPERIENCE

Water retention in historical environments:

the Spínola entrenchment (Breda)

Antwerp, September 11th 2012

Investigation of the assignment

• Water retention• Frame of reference;• Overgrown with trees;• Restoration;• Recreative routing;• Management vs Ambition.

DLG Government Service for Land and Water Management works today to shape the landscape of tomorrow.

Eighty Years’ War, 1642

Eighty Years’ War, 1624-25

War of the Spanish Succession, 1701

War of the Austrian Succession, 1747

'Tithe War‘ 1831 - 1836

Eighty Years’ War, 1637

War of the AustrianSuccession, 1747

World War II 1944

´changing faces of the entrenchement´

´changing faces of the entrenchement´

Conceptual approach:

•We do not aim at a clean restauration of one era, but want to show the different layers of history, including recent overgrow by trees.

•Water retention should not obstruct this principle, but contribute to small-scale measures to make (the history of) the complex more visible.

´covered road´

Oak trees on the higher parts of the entrenchement

Marsh forest(Alder trees)

in the moat

Comparison old maps with detailled contour map (0,5 x 0,5 m)

Tweede supplement Hingman Plan van het fort Spinola bij Breda 18de eeuw

Profiles

Birds-eye view

Birds-eye view present situation with trees

Birds-eye view future situation cutting trees

Birds-eye view restoration outer ramparts

Birds-eye view full retention(avg 80.000 m3)

Routing

P

Crossing the moat:

Making non-floating bridges

Crossing the moat: adventure

La rendicíon de Breda

DLG Government Service for Land and Water Management works today to shape the landscape of tomorrow.