Reconnecting a village with the Waddensea

De Cocksdorp is the most northern village on the island of Texel with a culture determined by the eternal fight against seawater. Located right next to the mudflats of the Wadden Sea, but today cut off from this piece of World Heritage due to the construction of a dike, now asks for a new connection.

VE-R achieved this through designing a broad dike crossing and an iconic tidal pier. The dike crossing is created in the form of stairs with an extended viewpoint on top and breath-taking views of the landscape, while the pier is a wooden platform able to follow the water fluctuations during high and low tide and allowing visitors to fully experience the climate change influence on the mudflats and the dynamic nature of the Wadden Sea. At the same time, small biodegradable constructions are installed in the water to trigger mussel habitats and shape mounds that could consist new ecological spots, contributing to ecosystem restoration and biodiversity.