Last Saturday, 22 November, Young NVTL organised a willow weaving workshop at the NDSM wharf , under the guidance of Jasper Riehm and Theo Rekelhof. From 1 January, the NVTL headquarters will be located on the NDSM-kade, and in the Hellingpark around the corner, now stands a living willow dome, built in a single day by 25 landscape designers and architects.

Despite the icy wind, the participants enthusiastically rolled up their sleeves and got to work. After a short introduction and warm-up, we started by stripping a large pile of willow branches, cutting off all the side branches and sorting the branches by length and thickness. Jasper and Theo created the design, which was developed and tested by Roberto (Young NVTL) in Rhino. We then bundled and tied the willow branches into strong beams of various lengths.

Once the floor plan had been measured out and the holes drilled in the ground, the most spectacular part could begin: placing the beams as overlapping arches, in layers of varying heights. The dome quickly took shape. After some fine-tuning, a beautiful three-layer willow dome rose in Hellingpark, which was enthusiastically received by passers-by and local residents. Two fences were woven from the remaining branches.

In the spring, the living structure will sprout and become stronger and more beautiful. All participants went home with a “living willow” guide full of tips and tricks, so that everyone can continue building a variety of willow structures.