The project "Green Ribbon" refers to a recreation area around the city of Kortrijk. The city of Kortrijk intended to realize as part of the project a "living environment" visitor center. In relation to the "Green ribbon" project, the municipality service of environment acquired a piece of land belonging to an ancient waste deposit area.

In this area the exhibition building was realized: a pavilion with an attractive shape.

Purpose of the pavilion

The purpose of the pavilion is to provide the inhabitants of Kortrijk, as well as tourists, information about their living environment. Our environment is strongly influenced by people. Fortunately nature receives a new chance in municipality's plans called "the new nature".

The pavilion will be used as exhibition/presentation space. The opening of the "Green Ribbon" around Kortrijk is a "quiet" recreation project with cycle and hiking trails. The theme of the whole project is "reintroduction of nature" and involves providing information about nature and the environment.

In this concept it was decided to develop a pavilion with the shape of an amphibian or an insect. The idea behind is that simpler animals are of main importance for the existence of upper classes in an ecosystem. The lower classes return quickly into the "new" nature. Objective of the shape to be chosen was a clear relation with the theme: the city of Kortrijk and it's (natural) environment.

Construction

The construction of the pavilion is an unusual "organic" tent shape, recognizable for everyone. A dragonfly model was chosen. The dragonfly is an insect threatened by extinction. Trough the reintroduction of water ponds and belonging vegetation there is a big chance that the dragonflies will survive. This can be seen as a reintroduction or a recovery of an ecosystem. The dragonflies are dependent on water for their reproduction. This is where the female lays down her eggs which transform into larva's. A dragonfly is a real predator eating small wateranimals and the larva's of frogs. This is why dragonflies and water are strongly related.

Project data

Client:	Gemeente Kortrijk, België
Design / Concept / Project management:	ThijsExpo, Amsterdam
Design / Engineering	Tentech BV, Delft
Membrane and steel construction:	Buitink Technology, Duiven
Year of implementation:	2005