Square of silence ‘De Klaproos (poppy flower)’ (Zwanenburg, NL)

Zwanenburg is known for its beauty and horror. The village lies picturesque in a curve of the Ringvaart, there is a harbor for yachts and there are benches along the water. But there also is the noise of airport Schiphol. The departing airplanes disturb public life in the idyllic village. Because Zwanenburg does not have a square this project proposes a public spot, outside, but always protected against the noise.

The proposed square on the waterfront is reached by a folding bridge. If a boat comes along, the bridge opens and folds up like a poppy’s flower. The same principle is employed when an airplane climbs into the skies resulting that the square is in an acoustic shadow of the flower’s leaves. Because the lee side is open people sit in the outside at all times. The planes follow a fixed route that can be followed through a diagonal window; the noise however is disappeared. On the square is a café and a large terrace. The folding mechanism works subtly with counterweights under the ground, like a bascule bridge, and can be moved easily. Collaboration with ir. Sabine Heine and ir. Leo van den Burg.