Deltarium

Water museum on the river Meuse

In the coming years, the area between Ravenstein and Lith will be transformed into a natural river landscape in which the river Meuse will be given the space to overflow its banks. In the new Deltarium to be realized, the story of this environment and the larger context of the Dutch Delta and its residents will be portrayed.

The Netherlands and the Dutch have been shaped by the delta. Nevertheless, there is not yet a visitor center in the Netherlands where the origins and life in the Dutch delta are properly explained, partly in relation to other deltas in the world. In the area north of Oss, the Maas and Rhine 'kiss' each other and the entanglement of rivers that is characteristic of a delta begins. It is therefore a good location for an experience center that tells the bigger story of our river delta with a focus on life on the Maas. This makes it an attractive destination for both domestic and foreign audiences interested in the Dutch delta in all its facets.

The Aa en Maas Water Board, the Municipality of Oss and Natuurmonumenten have therefore taken the initiative to realize a 'deltarium' in the flood plains of the Maas.The idea is to make the regional identity, linked to global themes such as climate adaptation, food supply and energy transition, tangible make for a large audience.

The intended location is for the time being in the Diedensche Uiterdijk; a floodplain next to Megen. From this location, visitors can visit the river area of the meandering Maas.
We want to express the two faces of the 'cultural nature' present here in the buildings and the layout of the experience center. The shape of the building is reminiscent of natural curves such as shells. However, it stems from the mobius, a mathematical form; which stands for infinity. The three-dimensional organic shape offers a variety of perspectives of the building from the surrounding landscape.

The facade is made of carbonized wood. It forms a black sculptural object that blends in like land art and simultaneously manifests itself in the surrounding landscape. The facade is divided into triangles. Around the restaurant, a number of these triangles are designed as a shutter and can be opened for daylight.

Instead of a linear exhibition, it forms a continuous exhibition spiral in which the visitor is taken step-by-step through the cycle of the delta. The form is ideally suited to tell the story of the great, endless water cycle as the motor of life and to make it experienceable. The building expresses the natural movements of the water cycle of evaporation, condensation, precipitation and current. The exhibition is designed so that every step in the water cycle is positioned in the building and optimal use is made of the geometry.

The starting point is that the buildings of the experience center are built from green, sustainable and circular building blocks. Local wood from sustainable forestry is used as much as possible.

The museum building has been designed in such a way that energy consumption is minimal. The glass fronts are fitted with state-of-the-art solar heat-resistant glass, so that no (view-obstructing) sun protection is required. Heat and cold are exchanged with the adjacent open water through a low-temperature floor system. The roof is suitable for electricity generation by means of black solar panels that are integrated in the roof. The plants around the center are used as biological water purification for sanitary waste water, after which it can be reused as greywater.