Gele Loods Naarden
Naarden and the Waterlines
The Gele Loods in Naarden is a new museum in an old fortress city. The exhibition tells the story of the role of Naarden at the time of the New Dutch Waterline, which this year has received UNESCO World Heritage status. The New Dutch Water Line and the Defence Line of Amsterdam together formed an impenetrable barrier and protected the province of Holland, in particular Amsterdam, against outside attacks. It was a deterrent, but would it have actually worked?
In the interactive exhibition, you get to be the commander and protect your own flood basin; this requires considerable focus and planning, so how good are you at dealing with stress? The fully restored Gele Loods, or Yellow Warehouse or Shed, is now home to a new visitor centre where you can start your visit to the city of Naarden. In the cinema there, there is also new animated film that explains the fine details of how the Waterline functions.
CLIENT
De Gele Loods / Monumentenbezit
Opening: 10/09/2021
Locatie: Utrechtse Poort, Naarden
Photography: Mike Bink
Central to the space is a tableau several metres long, which provides insight into all of the processes involved in integrating the Naarden fortress town into the New Dutch Water Line. What immediately stands out is the incredible detail of the drawings, not a screw nor a ventilation grille is left out.
Over the centuries the fortress towns and cities were modified several times using the latest innovations in the area of attack weapons. Thick layers of earth were used to make bunkers bombproof and high walls were built to stop tanks. But the areas surrounding the defence works also formed a barrier in the event of a threat. Would you manage to get a flood basin under water in good time without drowning the residents?
The cinema is showing a new film we made especially for the Gele Loods. It tells you everything about how the New Dutch Waterline works, and its objective, in 8 minutes.
