Pilot project wind turbine placement in the Province of Friesland
From the commission:
Three Landscape Architecture Bureaus (HNS, B&B and West 8) and two artists (Roebers and Sciarone) were asked to provide a concept sketch for the placing of wind turbines at a given location in the districts of Franekerdeel and het Bildt.
The commission was by order of the Province of Friesland and the councils of Franekerdeel and het Bildt, and included the following directives:
“In the Regional Development Plan it is stated that with the placement of wind turbines at the location, the transition must be made from an area of linear deployment ( Afsluitdijk, Harlingen) to an area of cluster deployment (the area of the former Middelzee). How this project interconnects with other projects in the surroundings, also plays a role. It has not been determined beforehand how much capacity (megawatt = MW) should be placed within the confines of the study-location. However, we are striving for a solution to place the greatest possible capacity, using as few as possible wind turbines. At this point that results in turbines of ca. 500 KW per turbine.”
Some notes from the presentation by Frank Sciarone:
….supposedly in the same year, in 1912, Fernand Léger reported that he visited a technical aeronautical exhibition together with Constantin Brancusi and Duchamp and that Duchamp said to his good friend Brancusi: “Painting has seen her best days. Who could ever make anything better than a propeller? Tell me, could you?”… (‘Marcel Duchamp', Janis Mink)
The wind turbine has, despite its visually strong presence, a primitive character.
Output is low when compared to the visual racket.
The wind turbine is also: honest.
Wind turbines typically demand a certain approach, in a marked deployment this may lead to conflicts.
Also important: addition of the immaterial aspect: the wind.
A line of wind turbines, usually parallel to a dike or coastline, reinforce the line that is already there. Makes the existing line vertical. The image is uncompromising: the masts form a wall and the turning propellers are like barbed wire. (Not poetic)
The neat geometric formation of wind turbine parks is seen from different viewing points as completely unordered.
The fact of putting up wind turbines is much more drastic than the manner in which they are put up.
The wind turbine can never play an inferior role when used to create a landscape.
The “Wavy Line” formation is seen from the Wad as an undulating line above the dike.
From the assessment committee's* report to the steering committee for the pilot project Franekerdeel – het Bildt. Leeuwarden 9th April 1996 :
Sciarone
“Wavy Line”
Artistic qualities and relationship to the landscape
The analysis given of the phenomenon of wind turbines in their surroundings is valuable and to the point. Many interesting ideas are presented. Just as with the West 8 bureau, what really counts here is the question of, why (the functionality of) a line. The attraction of creating a wavy line instead of a straight one is in the committee's opinion that this will be less likely to be experienced as a wall.
The committee endorses Frank Sciarone's conclusion, that simulations will be necessary for the investigation into the development of the idea: Will the intended visual effect also work in reality.
The proposed intervention is vulnerable, not very flexible, but perhaps easier to adapt to the existing landscape than West 8's concept. To do complete justice to the idea, the committee expects that no other wind turbines will be placed in the surroundings.
From an artistic point of view it is found to be an exciting and well thought through idea.
Judgement
Frank Sciarone's ‘Wavy Line' makes a plea for a grand gesture, just as does the entry of bureau West 8. Mr. Sciarone indicates that the ‘Wavy Line' is not feasible within the given environmental legislation. Nevertheless, the committee sees a wider use for this idea and more possibilities of application within present policy, than for the precisely defined total solution of bureau West 8.
The committee would like to recommend examining as to whether through further study, a development could arise that would be able to be carried out at the given location. Thereby, possibilities should be looked for in adapting certain environmental legislation (for example with respect to: noise zones, if it turns out that certain property owners would want to participate in the project).
Both the Windpolder (HNS) and the Wavy Line (Sciarone) offer interesting starting points for the future.
Recommendation
It is the finding of the committee that both entries are as such, that no unambiguous and unconditional choice can be made for one of them. Nevertheless, it does want to make a recommendation.
Ultimately, it does this on the basis of two points:
- achieving an augmentation of the landscape,
- insight into practical feasibility.
On the grounds of landscape augmentation, the committee feels that both the Windpolder and the Wavy Line could achieve this goal. On the grounds of the second point, it is the committee's assessment that Sciarone's vision and the concept of the Wavy Line , in combination with his approach to this problem, is a good basis for the execution of the second phase of the project.
Due to the changes that will be necessary to the Windpolder concept and the difficult administrative procedure that would be needed for its execution, it is the committee's judgement that this idea is the more difficult to carry out.
If the steering committee decides to proceed further with Sciarone, it is this committee's view, that it will be a good idea to involve a landscape architecture bureau in the next stage. Although the committee previously stated that bureau West 8's concept was too far removed from the assignment, it would like to suggest that, in the next stage, this bureau should work together with Sciarone on the further development of the Wavy Line .
Leeuwarden April 1996
* Assessment committee:
Chairman:
Mr. H. R. Heite, Major, District of Weststellingwerf
Landscape architecture:
Mr. K Kerkstra, Vakgroep Ruimtelijke Planvorming Landbouw Universiteit Wageningen
Art:
Mr. A. Waalkens
technique and finance:
Mr. H.J. Kouwenhoven, Energie Noord West
environmental feasibility
secretary:
Mr. W. Meerdink, Veenwouden
Ms. E.C. Bakker, Afdeling Ruimtelijke Plannen Provincie Friesland
See also the article ‘Windmolenparken overschrijden de grenzen' , Herma Hekkema in ‘Blauwe Kamer' , July 1996.
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