Studio Marco Vermeulen has revamped the Netherlands’ angular Biesbosch Museum, turning it into grass-covered pyramids.
The Dutch firm renovated the waterside building – near the Biesbosch National Park in the Werkendam region – adding green roofs and cutting away the land around the museum to create a manmade island.
‘The existing building is surrounded with earthworks with the same plants and grasses growing on it as on the roof,’ says the practice. ‘The uniformity in shape and shade mixes old and new into a sculptural land art-object that blends in the surrounding landscape.’
Studio Marco Vermeulen also created a 1,000 sq m wing extension to the existing structure to house a restaurant and temporary exhibition space. The main building, which displays a permanent collection of the Biesbosch area’s historical artefacts, has a revamped gallery space as well as a library, theatre and shop.
Biesbosch Museum’s green roofs provide added insulation during cold months. During warmer times of the year, water from the surrounding river will flow through the museum’s internal pipes to cool the building. An indoor fountain also draws water directly from the river.
The building has opened its doors but the renovation won’t be complete until spring 2016. A ‘freshwater tidal park’, comprising a newly dug creek to collect river water, is yet to be built.
