Hydra Pier
Asymptote Architecture

July 08, 2002 /

Haarlemmermeer, The Netherlands

Photo: Christian Richters

The Hydra Pier, a municipal pavilion acknowledging and celebrating the fast growing city of Haarlemmermeer, was the winning entry in an International competition.

Haarlemmermeer is located in a region, adjacent to the Amsterdam Schipol airport, that was below sea level for most of the19th Century.

The dams and pumping stations, engineered during that time, are still in existence today and are potent symbols of Holland's tenuous relation to the surrounding sea. The pumping of water through and onto the roof and the subsequent formation of a 3.5 m high curtain of water as an entry threshold celebrates this rich history.

Photo courtesy Asymptote

In contrast to the heavy air traffic around the airport and the endless streams of highway commuters, the Hydra Pier is situated in an artificially manufactured pastoral landscape.

Photo courtesy Asymptote

The Pavilion is separated into two parts; one overhangs and shelters an outdoor landscaped space, the other, floating on the lake, encloses a multi-media space for public events and other functions yet to be determined.

The "liquid" roof, accommodating a plane of cascading water, reflects and distorts the large sky overhead where large body airplanes are in constant states

Photo: Christian Richters