HOW TO KEEP HERITAGE ALIVE THROUGH A MILITAR MUSEUM

By: Mayra Rivero Bueno

Project Name: National Military Museum

Location: Soesterberg, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Date of Construction: 2011-2015
Size: 45 ha
Cost : 90.000.000 euro (design + construction)
Client name: Government Buildings Agency and Ministry of Defence
Designer: H+N+S Landscape Architects
Team: Felix Claus Dick van Wageningen Architecten (architect) Kossmann.deJong
(exhibition architects) Heijmans PPP (contractor) Buiting Advies (ecological
consultancy)

The Netherlands have already showed us that they clearly know what Landscape
architecture is about and the National Military Museum (NMM) in Soesterberg is not
the exception. The former Soesterberg Airbase that was officially out of service on 12
November of 2008 was brought back to life on 2015 as the National Military Museum
(NMM), as a result of the integration of the Army Museum and the Military Aviation
Museum. The complex is composed by a 100 x 250 m building, an Arena and a
surrounding natural landscape full with military, war and aviation relics and landmarks.
The firm in charge of the mission was H + S + N Landscape Architects, based in
Soesterberg.

The placement of the project has a vast significance in the Dutch Military history, as the
Dutch Aviation base during WW2 and the Cold War. That gives us an idea of the massive
cultural and historical relevance that this area has, there are physical elements (the
military, war and aviation relics and landmarks we mentioned before) that are placed in
the landscape that surrounds the museum building, and of course that entire heritage
worked as a main determinant to develop the final design. These elements such as
preexisting monuments, abandoned bunkers, bomb craters and the air base itself
among others, guided the placement of the museum building and the way it is
connected with the surrounding landscape.

THE BUILDING AND EXTERIOR ELEMENTS

The museum building is aligned with the old planes runway and is placed diagonal to
four ancient T2 hangars; the sides of the building are completely see through to use the
surrounding landscape as a background for the collection pieces in exhibition. One side
of the building is open to the panoramic view of the landscape that brings the large-
scale runway. The other side of the building is hugged by a dense forest where we can
find some old bunkers, bomb craters, shelters and sightlines, most of them were left in
situ and had some minor additions, therefore the experience of the museum visitors
continues outside the building as they walk through military relics and war scenarios.
The purpose of keeping these elements is also historical and ecological; the bunkers
and bomb craters remind visitors of the German occupation in May 5th in 1940 and the
Allied bombing at the end of the WW2. The craters, besides that visual impact and the
educational value that they already possess, also work as water collection points that
help to develop a micro-ecological environment. Around the property we can also find
a lot of gabions, these components dont just have a functional purpose, they are
remembrance elements and are a representation of the woven wicked baskets that in
medieval battles times were used by the Netherlands troops as shelters, the gabions
have the height and form of the former shelters.

THE SURROUNDING LANSCAPE

As we mentioned before the building is surrounded by two very different scenes on

each side, on the side with the dense forest and the multiple elements there is a design
of pedestrian paths and vehicular roads that allow visitors to move in different ways
and directions, which lets them to create their own experience. The spinning vehicular
roads lead to the different car parking spots that the complex possess, these are
usually close to bike stands and charging points for electric cars and bikes, the parking
spots have pedestrian paths that directly conduct to the Museum building entrance.

Other landmarks of the outsider landscape are the Memorial Square and the Memorial
Garden Royal Netherlands Airforce, which are connected through a curve pedestrian
path that surrounds the beginning of the forest, a dense forest in a landscape is an
advantage because as a result we have an area with a thick and tall tree population that
enriches the design. After the visitor pass the Memorial Garden and continues to follow
the suggested pedestrian path, is going to find a Commander Bunker, then is going to
pass by one of the double functional craters and before arriving to the museum
entrance is welcomed by an open space big enough to let the visitor contemplate the
magnificence of the building and the forest itself.

Overpassing the Museum entrance is located the Arena, this amphitheatre is the
largest outdoor theatre of the country; it can accommodate more than 3.500 people at
once, this Arena is home for the largest Tankshow in the Netherlands where over 30
tanks and armoured vehicles make an appearance in the NMM Arena.
This project helped to reinforce a cultural legacy, this design is completely
contextualised in every aspect. H + S + N showed us why we as creators need to be
connected with the past, present and possible future of the places we are going to
work in, so we can answer correctly to the need we are trying to satisfy without
harming the surrounding natural environment.

Therefore, what do you think about preserving the heritage, does that stagnant us or
educate us?