On 23 June this year , the Zaanse Dacha officially opened by Leny Vissers, alderman of culture of Zaandam, the Netherlands.
As part of the Dutch - Russia year, Studio Elmo Vermijs was invited by Art Committee of Zaandam to design a Datsja ( russian holiday house ) The design , inspired by various elements of both the Russian and Zaanse timbercraftmenship, makes history with Russia visible. Czar Peter stayed a few days in 1632 in Zaandam to study the timbercraftmenship of area. The house where he stayed is now one of the oldest wooden houses in the Netherlands and is located close to Zaanse Dacha .
The dacha is designed so that it can be used for various activities and events. The shutters can be closed, partially closed or fully open depending on the character ( from intimate to public ) of the activity . The materials used in the design all come from the immediate vicinity of Zaandam; the roof consists of old cheese boards , the shutters from a old fence and beams come from former student residences . For each part of the datsja was decided to leave it untreated , burn bright or black.
The Zaanse Dacha is standing in the Monet Garden, an urban garden initiated on a vacant lot in the center of Zaandam. The garden, open daily, is runned by local residents , who grow herbs , fruit and vegetable and regularly organize activities. The dacha is used every day as a meeting place for local residents , passers-by and tourists. The Zaanse Dacha is portable and can in future be place don a different location where it can act as a catalyst for place-making.
STUDIO ELMO VERMIJS
Studio Elmo Vermijs works on the intersection of visual art, design and architecture. In 2006 he founded Studio Elmo Vermijs after his graduation with honours at the department of architectural design of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam.
The Studio initiates, researches, designs and realizes large variety of projects; from landscape to public space, from interior to product. The projects often start with an inventory of materials and knowledge present in the vicinity of the project site. This inventory, which shows the "local potential" of an area is the start point of the designprocess. By connecting the material and knowlegde as well as the parties related to it, surprising collaborations and outcomes are achieved together. The role as a designer is not only to design, but also to create a dialogue and interaction between different parties. This way of working creates local involvement and support for the project.
The work of Studio Elmo Vermijs finds it origin in current social and societal issues. These are combined with a fascination for locations, space, material and construction. The objects connect people through by the activity the visitor invited to. This can be playing wise, confrontational, compelling, relaxing, by cooking together etc. Most objects are designed with and for a specific type of location (s).
