Middelburg bridge house

It is unique to make a design for a bridge operating building, which is only used 6 times per year. For around 350 days per year, the bridge house is no more than a switching station. Instead of regarding this switching station as an inconvenient technocratic object, a new bridge house can become a striking point of recognition in Walcheren Canal: cellophane in the water. Lots of things come together at the Station location, in terms of both the infrastructure and the architecture and urban development. This spot has a diffuse identity at present, it is seeking a balance between urbanisation and the periphery while it is in the heart of Middelburg. The Station bridge is the entrance to Middelburg city centre from this central public transport hub. This bridge is therefore literally and figuratively a hinge point between the intimate old city centre and the wide open space around the station. The phenomenon of the swing bridge makes the crossing of the wide Canal through Walcheren a very special experience.
The bridge house is a modern addition to the classic Station bridge. We were looking for a shape which related to the bridge rather than simply referring to it. The final design of the bridge house came about due to a variety of practical and formal preconditions. The object is oriented towards the centre point of the bridge and is at the same time an all-round sculpture, the three facades being aimed at the first span of the bridge, the canal and the Blauwedijk road.
The bridge man has a 360° panorama, but the operating panel faces the bridge. The electrotechnical installation and the toilet have been installed half a level lower in order to be out of the line of vision of the bridge man. It is this split level that gives the impression of the object leaning back.
The main shape of the bridge house is dominant, the glass skin enfolds the inflexible technical installation and forms a transparent and reflecting membrane that alternately reveals the building contents and mirrors the nearby surroundings. The panels of green screen printed glass are mounted to a steel cage construction, at eye height the abstract screen printed figures become gradually smaller, thus optimising the visibility through the glass.
The bridge house derives its strength precisely from the lack of use. It is a closed object which conceals many surprises. The building looks like a diamond balanced on one of its points, which reaches its full shine factor at night when the lights go on automatically and bathe the surroundings and water in a mysterious light.