Our design for the archaeological site of the Roman Road at Katwijk, unites stories of the past and inspire new stories for the future.
The Roman road near Katwijk is unique in Europe because of the well-preserved wooden construction (around 300 AD),which was discovered in 2018. The road is part of the Limes (UNESCO), a defensive route along the northern boundary of the Roman empire. The archaeological find was discovered as part of a large infrastructure project and development for Valkenburg, a new housing location for 30 000 new homes. REDscape was invited to develop a design for the new archaeological find, to form part of the new neighbourhood.
The design team not only sees the road as a physical object, but also as a journey in time. It explores and plays with the meanings of the design from its making to today. The design collects and unites the stories of all participants in the Roman Way. It connects them in a dialogue that leads to a new story for the future, to be experienced and remembered. Some of the original poles have been excavated and preserved and studies have discovered graffiti from the Roman era and that the wood originated elsewhere. Much of the archaeology remains buried in situ.
The design proposes to re-create a section of the road evoking the qualities of the archaeological site as part of a new Limes park for Valkenburg. Two alternative locations were proposed.
The delta landscape of the Roman era is re-created with a pool of water 125m long and 15m wide. The wooden poles are re-created with a mould from the original wood in ceramic or concrete and placed in the pool. The pool buffers rain water from new neighbourhoods for climate adaptation and has ecofriendly edges for enhancing biodiversity
A small woodland, with paths and play areas is proposed around the pool, with planting based on a grid structure (30x 30m) used in former Roman settlements. The woodland is to be partially harvested over time to build ‘Limes’ furniture; benches, seats and viewing tables. These are to be located along the Limes route/ Roam Way from where the original trees were sourced. A box kit, made from Limes wood is also proposed to showcase Roman engineering techniques. The box can be brought to schools along the Limes route and used in workshops to raise awareness of Limes history and Roman building ingenuity.
Team:REDscape: Patrick Mc cabe. Antoine Fourrier
Status: Completed
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