House of Nature

Studio Will Beckers / Sculpturales BV

Short description

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
House of Nature, an innovative Landscape Architecture project designed as a gateway into the National Park Bosland in Lommel, Belgium. This unique project tells the story of exceptional natural wonders to be discovered in the National park such as the unique dune habitats, the most important land dunes in all of Flanders.
This architectural Landmark flows into the landscape and forms a symbiosis with its surroundings and the environment.
The structure in the shape of an embrace, unfolds into a natural meeting and picknick location where people can pause, reflect and immerse themselves in Nature.


KEY DETAILS OF PROJECT
The Landmark House of Nature was commissioned by the City council of Lommel, one of the councils making up the National park Bosland. There was previously no clear entry point into the National park from Lommel, the council wanted an imposing gateway that could be seen from afar and would form a sustainable Landmark.

The main goal was to create a single point of entry into the National park Bosland, a gateway which could be used as a focal meeting place to bring visitors together from where they could enter the National park in a safe environment.

The importance of the project as an artwork is to integrate Nature, Landscape Architecture, local wildlife and Art, bringing a much-needed Landmark to the park and leaving a sustainable and innovative Land Art sculpture for the local population and visiting tourists.

This project took 2.5 years from the moment it was commissioned to realisation. Many contractors and subcontractors played a role in bringing this project to life. The biggest challenge was to build it on site while working free from the elements. To resolve this, a scaffolding company was hired to construct an enormous tent construction around the outside of the artwork.

It is made of a complex structure of Corten steel supported by 12 large iron pillars from the inside. The outer shell is also Corten steel, a very sustainable and earthy coloured material built to withstand the test of time. Thousands of welding points, each meticulously made by hand can be seen covering the shell, a testament to the hours of work necessary to complete this Artwork. House of Nature is 50m long, 7.5m high.


INNOVATION
At the same time as being a gateway, House of Nature is also a meeting place and a picknick location for the community and visitors to come together and take a moment to appreciate the nature around them.
The unique organic design and rhythmic movement of the artwork flows into the landscape and effortlessly integrates into the landscape despite its enormous size.

The focal point of the artwork is a spatial human figure. Will Beckers places the human form in a central position, symbolically reflecting Nature as our house. The work of Art symbolizes the continuity of this mutual interdependence. Will alludes to the metamorphose that takes place in this relationship and the alternating outcome of this for Nature,

House of Nature’s unique design and stature embraces the integration between Nature, Landscape Architecture, local wildlife and Art, bringing a much-needed Landmark to the National Park Bosland and leaving a sustainable and innovative Land Art sculpture for the local population and visiting tourists.


COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY
House of Nature was built with the collaboration of 60 local companies. each participating in their area of expertise to make the project a success. Studio Will Beckers decided to use almost exclusively local companies to collaborate with the structural engineering, technical drawings, rendering, transport of metal, crane work to bring the metal rings on sight, scaffolding company, suppliers and photographers.

The project brief was not only to integrate nature, the environment and art into the gateway but also to involve the local population in some way, thereby making them invested in House of Nature.

The footprints of many different animals and birds found in the Natural park were painstakingly collected by a woodland ranger and cast by Studio Will Beckers into bronze sculptures which were welded onto the shell of the sculpture. These footprints are at a height on the sculpture where visitors can touch them. By making them tactile and accessible to children especially, an educational dimension to the project is added.

The heritage society of Lommel collaborated on the project by creating a podcast on the local history of the land dunes and surrounding natural wonders. By means of a QR code they can embark on a trail of the surrounding area and explore at their own pace.

Local student art academies were approached for drawings of animals found in Bosland. A selection of these have been engraved into some of the metal stools at the picknick tables. All of these drawings were made by children attending these art academies.