Wadden Sea World Heritage Center: An experience for water, animals and people

A truly world-class building: the new Wadden Sea World Heritage Center in Lauwersoog definitely deserves that title. The new construction project will be completed by the end of the year and will house a unique experience and research center where visitors, volunteers, researchers and seals from Pieterburen Seal Center will find a home.

Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma became involved in this prestigious new construction project through a tender, explains project leader Heerke Osinga. And that started with a considerable challenge: "The plan that was initially there was too ambitious financially," he says. "We sat down with the users and client to discuss and implement optimizations. That succeeded: in the end, there was a new, complete plan on the table that qualitatively safeguards all the building's user purposes."

A home for many

The plan was converted into a concrete implementation design and Dijkstra Draisma went to work. Indeed, the project has a considerable scope: the new World Heritage Center will be a combination experience and research center starring the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Wadden Sea. The building will be home to many: researchers, volunteers, recreational visitors and seals. The building will therefore include a viewing area, research center, seal pools and space for meetings and catering. In short: the new building project has plenty of special elements. Osinga: "Thanks to the wooden cladding, the building will have a beautiful, natural look. After installing the cladding, we are installing the wooden awning construction as a second facade. This is made from recycled mooring posts." Sustainable interior cladding was also considered. "People could hand in their jeans and acoustic insulation material is made from them, which will be used to clad the ceilings. A unique element!"

Seal hospital

Another special element is the rooms that will be set up for sick seals from seal center Pieterburen. "The care and recovery of the seals is paramount," Osinga said. "After arriving at the new World Heritage Center, the seals go through three phases: intensive care in the indoor tanks, then recuperation in the outdoor tanks, and finally they are released back onto the mudflats. The basins are filled with familiar water from the Wadden Sea. A sustainable water treatment plant ensures that used water can be returned clean to the sea."

The construction of the basins is a real challenge: "The basins have a rather complicated shape. This is because they pour the concrete at a height of about six meters. Moreover, the basins are built on top of the technical room. So all the necessary technology is immediately in the right place."

Through all weathers

The implementation of such a magnificent new construction project does not go without a hitch, Osinga confirms, "The entire team is working on the realization of an ambitious plan and we can certainly be proud of that. For example, there are ramp floors in the building instead of stairs. That results in a corkscrew structure to the top. A structural challenge. But once you are on the roof, you have a wonderful view of the Lauwersmeer and the Wadden Sea."

Despite the challenging weather conditions we have faced since October, including heavy rain and wind, Dijkstra Draisma is proud of the progress. "The building is now wind and watertight. We had to decide many times in between: do we stop or do we continue in these conditions? I respect all my colleagues who are there in all weathers! Together we are realizing a world-class project before the end of the year."