Famous for their network of canals, the people of the Netherlands definitely know how to make use of winding waterways to the fullest extent. Demonstrating this ingenuity is a new project that will work to increase urban greenspace within the city of Rotterdam. Mothership, an art collective composed of local dutch entrepreneurs and designers, has come up with the idea of creating a floating forest placed in the middle of the city. This spring, the Dobberend Bos (or Bobbing Forest in English) will be constructed, out of 20 trees floating peacefully within the city’s harbour, Rijnhaven.
The team was inspired to create this installation by “In Search Of Habitus” an art piece by Jorge Bakker, pictured below. Bakker is known for his works that examine overlooked elements within our surroundings, such as water and wind. Mothership seized this concept and ran with it, initiating a trial run in March 2014 with a single tree. This prototype has since grown into a full-size tree, demonstrating the design to be effective, and the city gave the go ahead for the full project. The floating forest will be sustainably sound, created using pre-existing elements: twenty old sea buoys will carry the trees, all of which have been recycled from the city’s tree bank Bomendepot and would have otherwise been destroyed.
The innovative project aims to stimulate conversation on “how urbanites deal with nature and conversely what nature does with the city dweller.” A simple yet brilliant way to introduce some greenery back into urban areas by making use of the space on hand, perhaps this concept will eventually be adopted by other cities around the world.
Dobberend Bos: Website | Facebook
Mothership: Website
Jorge Bakker: Website | Facebook
via [Bored Panda, Contemporist]