Tideway

A project by Iulia Miclea, Margaux Monzée, Andra Nicolescu

Reflecting on what had attracted us to Wittenbergener Heide, the answer that was imposed on us were the tides as well as the surrounding landscapes. We were really attracted by these elements and we’ve got to experience them in a very sensitive way. Seeing the water approach little by little, walking on the sand, crossing the massive vegetation, all this makes us feel connected to the area with all our senses.

By studying the area in more depth, we came to the following conclusion: as there are too many feelings that are activated at the same time, the users‘ experience tends to be fuzzy, and can therefore result in a time of confusion. This phenomenon can make the experience in the area less particular and effective. However, we do believe that by not being able to have an appropriate sensory experience, you lose the richness of all the natural elements of Wittenbergener Heide that make it so special.

As such based on our sensorial and technical analysis (see analytic diagrams), we conceptualized how we wish to intervene and why. Thus, we came up with a sensorial perception diagram that allows us to measure each one of our sensorial experience and then decide how to enhance/amplify a new experience to the visitor of the natural reserve. We then developed the concept of the medium (see senses diagram), which goal is to offer the clearest sensorial experience. By creating a medium which can be referred as the design we wish to create in the area, the experience will get stronger and it will connect the different landscapes that we found stunning together. Based on our sensory experiences, the medium aims to clarify and therefore amplify our sensations. With this medium we hope to make the users of Wittenbergener Heide discover another facet of the place.

Hence, the main idea of the project is to develop a path, a vertical axis that links the tides/water, the beach and the vegetal area (see strategic diagram). The path will offer different sensorial focuses, such as the discovering of the vegetations and how it feels on your skin, the perception and imaginary you develop going through the amazing vegetation of the area (see the branches model). You will get a feeling of anxiety when the water will come more and more close to you and get surprised when suddenly you get hit by fresh water (see the water model), you will perceive distinctly with the illuminated path on the water the tidal changes. Or else when walking on the beach you will focus on the different textures of the soil/sand.

With this path not only will you feel and discover more clearly the area, but you will get to perceive the landscape in a different way; through this vertical axis, not yet existing. Through the creation of the tideway, we are tackling the issues of blurry sensorial experience, as well as other identified problems such as the prominent place of the pipe in the middle of the area, the people constantly leaving the beach when the high tide comes.