HOUSE OF NATURE

The Landmark House of Nature was commissioned by the City council of Lommel, one of the councils making up the National park Bosland. There was previously no clear entry point into the National park from Lommel, the council wanted an imposing gateway that could be seen from afar and would form a sustainable Landmark.



The main goal was to create a single point of entry into the National park Bosland, a gateway which could be used as a focal meeting place to bring visitors together from where they could enter the National park in a safe environment.



The importance of the project as an artwork is to integrate Nature, Landscape Architecture, local wildlife and Art, bringing a much-needed Landmark to the park and leaving a sustainable and innovative Land Art sculpture for the local population and visiting tourists.

This project took 2.5 years from the moment it was commissioned to realisation. Many contractors and subcontractors played a role in bringing this project to life. The biggest challenge was to build it on site while working free from the elements. To resolve this, a scaffolding company was hired to construct an enormous tent construction around the outside of the artwork.



It is made of a complex structure of Corten steel supported by 12 large iron pillars from the inside. The outer shell is also Corten steel, a very sustainable and earthy coloured material built to withstand the test of time. Thousands of welding points, each meticulously made by hand can be seen covering the shell, a testament to the hours of work necessary to complete this Artwork. House of Nature is 50m long, 7.5m high.

At the same time as being a gateway, House of Nature is also a meeting place and a picknick location for the community and visitors to come together and take a moment to appreciate the nature around them.

The unique organic design and rhythmic movement of the artwork flows into the landscape and effortlessly integrates into the landscape despite its enormous size.