EMERGO

Location : Terneuzen, The Netherlands

Clients : Municipality of Terneuzen

Status : Competition 2020

Team : Estelle Barriol ( Studio ACTE ) & Georges Taminiau ( Studio B9)

The icon of Terneuzen is an ode to the city. This slender view point tower remains visible from the water, the locks, the boulevard and the city due to its mirrored floor plan. It is designed as a museum with 6 rooms and a large panoramic roof. The vertical public route describes the history of the city. It has many functions, auditoriums, exhibition rooms, a sound chamber and a panoramic roof. The spaces are free to use and invite to all kinds of activities.

Terneuzen has a rich history. In the earlier years it was a simple fishing village. This changed during the 80 Years War. Terneuzen was in a strategic position and became a crucial part of the defense of the Seven Republics of the Netherlands. Emergo, the icon of Terneuzen, has its equal with the saying, it rises from the landscape. Emergo is located in the bend of the dike reinforcement of the locks of Terneuzen. This is where the characteristic elements of the city and the area come together. The water of the Western Scheldt, with merchant shipping to Ghent and Antwerp.

Emergo's choice of materials is simple and effective. It is a mix of sand, shells and stones, all extracted locally from Terneuzen and the surrounding area. The materials are bonded with a low percentage of cement to be protected against the maritime climate. The local concrete is poured in layers, where the composition changes per layer. This technique creates a wavy pattern in the texture, reminiscent of the water. Emergo blends into the landscape with its waves, the concrete and the fine grains of the shells. An icon gives a recognizable image, a quick sketch that has become reality. The Icon of Terneuzen is iconic because of what has not been made, the two auditoriums to the locks and to the Western Scheldt. The materials are an old technique that is equal to the Zee, an undulating pattern of stamped concrete from the Terneuzen grounds. The auditoriums are finished with white clay plaster, giving them their own language.