State of Conservation report of the World Heritage site of “Droogmakerij de Beemster” (Beemster )”,

Cultural Heritage Agency January 2011

2

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 5

2. The Beemster Polder World Heritage Site and the art of cheesemaking 6

3. A new whey powder tower, 1999–2004 8

4. Consequences for the municipal organisation 11

5. New plans 12

6. Conclusion 17

Appendices 18

3

4 1. Introduction

Property: Beemster Polder [ Droogmakerij de Beemster ]

ID number: 899

State Party: Netherlands

Criteria: C (i) (ii) (iv)

The Beemster Polder was added to the World Heritage List in 1999. In the midst of the open landscape of the Beemster Polder (on the “Rijperweg” road) lies the factory operated by the CONO cheese producing cooperative (“CONO Kaasmakers”). Neither the decision by the World Heritage Committee to designate the Beemster Polder a World Heritage Site, nor the ICOMOS evaluation report mentions the presence of the cheese factory. The nomination dossier does mention the craft of cheesemaking but not the factory. The factory does not form part of the Outstanding Universal Value of the Beemster Polder, but that does not explain the fact that the factory is not mentioned at all. One can conclude, however, that the presence of the factory did not constitute a reason for not nominating the Beemster Polder.

There have since been a number of developments around the cheese factory that may affect the state of conservation of the World Heritage Site. These were recently reported on briefly in the State of Conservation report on the Beemster Polder of 12 October 2009. In accordance with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, the Dutch Government is now notifying you of the nature of these developments.

In 2004, a new architect-designed whey powder tower was built at the CONO factory complex. In 2007, CONO’s management launched an additional initiative to construct an entirely new factory and to demolish the existing one. A large number of parties and advisers were involved in drawing up the final design for the new factory. An application for a building permit was recently submitted to the Municipality of Beemster.

This report deals with the procedure followed in drawing up the plan, the designs, the advisory reports by the various bodies, the decision-making, and the manner in which the status of World Heritage Site played a role in selecting the final design. This report concludes with the position adopted by the Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency [ Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed ] and an outline of the procedure to be followed.

5 2. The Beemster Polder World Heritage Site and the art of cheesemaking

During the 23rd session of the World Heritage Committee, held from 29 November to 4 December 1999 in Marrakesh, Morocco, the committee decided “to inscribe Droogmakerij de Beemster (Beemster Polder, Netherlands) on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i), (ii), and (iv):

Criterion (i): The Beemster Polder is a masterpiece of creative planning, in which the ideals of antiquity and the Renaissance were applied to the design of a reclaimed landscape.

Criterion (ii): The innovative and intellectually imaginative landscape of the Beemster Polder had a profound and lasting impact on reclamation projects in Europe and beyond.

Criterion (iv): The creation of the Beemster Polder marks a major step forward in the interrelationship between humankind and water at a crucial period of social and economic expansion.”

It was not yet the practice in 1999 to issue a Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (SoOUV) together with the inscription decision. No such statement is therefore available. In 2010, however, the State Party, in advance of the submission of a proposal to that effect, drew up a draft SoOUV. This is included as Appendix 1.

In the section on “Agriculture in the Beemster Polder”, the nomination dossier for the Beemster Polder deals with cattle farming and cheese production: “Originally the drained land was used for agriculture (grain). … As time went by this land gradually turned into pasture land for cattle (72% of the arable land). The reasons for this were the fact that the groundwater level and the soil composition produced a less favourable result for agriculture than the investors in agriculture had anticipated. Consequently De Beemster, along with other , turned into an area primarily suitable for cattle. In the 17th century the polder products, such as Beemster wool, butter, cheese and bulls, were famous; cheese production in particular developed into a strong industry. … The current picture shows a variation in farmland and grazing pastures, fields and orchards ….

Creating high-quality agricultural land was one of the main reasons at the time for draining the Beemster Polder. Dairy farming and cheese production quickly developed after the polder had been drained and have since been an integral part of the Beemster Polder. Since the polder was drained, farmers have been the main users and managers of the area. Farming, cattle rearing, and cheese production are therefore features of the Beemster Polder. This is even apparent in the coat of arms of the Municipality of Beemster.

The coat of arms of the Municipality of Beemster.

6 Cheese was already produced in the Beemster back in the 17th century, as was the case in so many other places in the region within the Province of Noord-Holland. At the end of the 19th century, there were about twenty small cheese factories in the Beemster Polder. In 1901, they joined together in a cheese production cooperative: CONO cheese producers [ CONO Kaasmakers ]. The membership of this cooperative, which is still independent, consists of 500 dairy farmers in the Beemster Polder and its immediate vicinity. The factory is of great importance not only to the farmers who provide its milk but also for employment in the Municipality of Beemster. The factory produces cheese, according to a special process of its own, under the name “Beemster cheese”. The factory is therefore an important showcase for the Beemster Polder World Heritage Site, but it also profits from the familiarity of the polder as such a site.

Given the importance of dairy farming and cheesemaking for the reputation of the Beemster, it is striking that there was no mention of this in the nomination dossier, nor of the presence of the cheese factory. The ICOMOS advisory report does not mention this either. It would seem that the presence of the factory was not considered relevant to assessment of the Beemster Polder as a World Heritage Site, but also not as being a hindrance to such assessment. Given its size and visibility, it is impossible that the factory was not noticed.

7 3. A new whey powder tower, 1999–2004

Until the end of the 1990s, the operations of the CONO cheese factory were concentrated at two locations, one in the village of Stompetoren (in the Polder) and one on the “Rijperweg” road in the Beemster Polder. In order to increase the efficiency of the production process and to restrict the large number of traffic movements along the often narrow roads in the polder, a decision was taken to concentrate the factory at a single site. The management gave preference to the site in the Beemster Polder. As a result of this concentration, a new 30-metre-high whey powder tower needed to be built. Towards the end of October 1998, the management of CONO Kaasmakers submitted a tentative application [ principeverzoek ] to the municipality regarding the feasibility of the expansion plans from the point of view of spatial planning. On 23 February 1999, the municipality announced that before a favourable decision could be taken the zoning plan would first need to be amended. The municipality also requested drawings of the whey powder tower “also in relation to the surrounding area” so as to be able to determine whether construction of the powder production facility was acceptable in the rural area “from the physical point of view”. The municipality received the drawings and a photographic impression, which it presented to its Municipal Territory Affairs Committee [ Commissie Grondgebiedzaken ] for advice on 3 May. Despite the fact that there were objections to the height of the tower and special attention was requested for “the architecture of the landscape”, the committee approved the application. With that information, CONO began work and the plans were amended.

On 23 February 2001, a building permit was requested for a 26-metre-high whey powder tower. It then became apparent that the Province of Noord-Holland, which would need to approve the amendment to the zoning plan, would not automatically agree. The province considered the height of the building to be problematical and was not convinced of the need for it. Attention was also required for the integration into the landscape and for environmental requirements. During an on-site visit, the province’s representatives emphasised that “in the context of the World Heritage Site, additional attention needs to be paid to the appearance of the CONO complex.” It was suggested that the tower might be made a “landmark” in the flat polder. The province intended with this that the building should be of such architectural quality that it would give added value to the Beemster Polder rather than having a negative impact on its outstanding value. The design needed to be striking, it should emphasise the identity of the Beemster Polder, and it should be a design that did justice to the geometrical, historical character of the polder. It also needed to be properly incorporated into the landscape. In the view of the province, it needed to be incorporated into the unique spatial structure of the Beemster Polder – valuable from the perspective of heritage – and the characteristic avenues of trees in the polder.

The provincial Cultural Heritage Office [ Steunpunt Cultureel Erfgoed ], which specialises in providing advice on heritage and spatial development, was asked to act as an intermediary. It was prepared to do so and CONO also agreed to this. It was decided that CONO’s architect and an architect brought in by the Cultural Heritage Office should each present a design for the tower. A jury consisting of three leading landscape architects decided between the two designs and the selected design was then presented to the Building Aesthetics Committee [ Welstandscommissie ]. 1

In its report, which appeared on 12 December 2001 and that was binding for all the parties, the jury made two striking statements. Firstly, it stated that a factory of this size would in fact be more

1 The Building Aesthetics Committee is an independent advisory body made up in most cases of a number of architects, an urban planning expert, a listed buildings expert, and a landscape architect. When a building permit is necessary for a building plan, the plan is submitted to the Building Aesthetics Committee. A building permit can only be issued after the Building Aesthetics Committee has tested the building plan against the provisions of the Building Aesthetics Policy Document [ Welstandsnota ] and has approved it.

8 appropriately located in between large factory buildings than within a World Heritage Site such as the Beemster Polder. However, the fact that the factory had always produced a “Beemster” product justified its being located in the polder.

The jury also rejected all the designs that had been presented as being “inappropriate”. The jury was of the opinion, however, that the architect Bastiaan Jongerius was able to produce an appropriate design and recommended that he be issued with a follow-up assignment. That assignment was then issued. The jury recommended that there should not be too literal a reference to the existing buildings in the polder but that the geometry and materials of the whey powder factory should be taken as the basis and that a “sculpture” should be created with a striking silhouette. As regarded the sculptural design, the jury referred to the work of Eduardo Chillada. When Jongerius presented his first design, the jury praised its austerity and restraint. The jury did advise, however, that more attention should be paid to the aspect of incorporation into the landscape. The Building Aesthetics Committee for the Province of Noord-Holland [ Welstandszorg Noord-Holland ] also gave a favourable recommendation, noting that the design “as a unique landscape element could make a positive contribution to the large scale of the polder”.

The Municipality of Beemster has since commenced the procedure to amend the zoning plan. In the summer of 2002, objections to the preliminary design and zoning plan for “CONO Beemster” were submitted by the Noord-Holland Environmental Federation [ Milieufederatie Noord-Holland ] and the Noord-Holland Heemschut Committee [ Heemschut Commissie Noord-Holland ]. Both objectors stated that an industrial building of this height was inappropriate within a National Landscape and a World Heritage Site. The Environmental Federation also emphasised the aspect of the visibility of the tower. In a separate publication (27 June 2002), it was stated that “the top 10 metres of the whey power factory … will be visible from 18 kilometres away”. In an open letter to local residents and environmental organisations, the Environmental Federation called upon them to submit objections to the municipality. No objections to the issuing of the permit were in fact submitted. The Environmental Federation had since become involved in the initiatives of the Noord-Holland Cultural Heritage Foundation [ Stichting Cultureel Erfgoed Noord-Holland ]. It would appear that the Environmental Federation has been able to accept the outcome of the design process as described here.

Over the course of the year, the firm of Bastiaan Jongerius studied the design assignment from a variety of perspectives and, in consultation with the client, considered a large number of variants as regards composition, materials, and colour. All this led in mid-2002 – in the words of the director of the Cultural Heritage Office, Mr J.M. van der Veen, – to “a balanced and harmonious proposal” to the Beemster Municipal Executive on 10 September 2002. The participants in the Spatial Planning Consultation Group [ Ruimtelijk Planoverleg ] – which includes not only the Cultural Heritage Office and the Province of Noord-Holland but also the Building Aesthetics Foundation for Noord-Holland [Stichting Welstandszorg Noord-Holland ], the Netherlands Department for Conservation [ Rijksdienst voor de Monumentenzorg ], and the State Service for Archaeological Investigations [ Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek ]2 – stated that they were impressed by the spatial and architectural quality of the design. In their opinion, the designer had succeeded “in designing an intriguing building that will gain a place for itself as an attractive visual accent within the cultural identity of the Beemster Polder.” They also called for “a landscape design to be the basis for designing the surroundings of the factory, with account being taken of the specific heritage value of the World Heritage Site, so that it can in fact be anchored within the spatial structure of the site.” In order to achieve this design quality within the World Heritage Site, the client, CONO Kaasmakers, would need to make a significant additional investment.

2 These two State Services have since been incorporated into the National Cultural Heritage Agency.

9 Having once arrived at this point, all the parties were satisfied and the ongoing procedures could be completed. Although various comments were made when the zoning plan was made available for public inspection, they did not lead to any further objections. On 22 March 2004, the Beemster Municipal Executive issued a building permit for the whey powder tower. On 17 May of the same year, Executive Councillor Oelen laid the foundation stone and the tower was completed by the end of the year. In 2005, the building was nominated for the National Steel Prize [ Nationale Staalprijs ]. It did not win the prize despite the praise expressed for the building that “can become an icon of the modern agricultural industry and that has been incorporated into the broad landscape of the polder despite being a large building”.

10 4. Consequences for the municipal organisation

Construction of the whey powder tower was a reason for the Municipality of Beemster to evaluate the process of decision-making and implementation. Together with the Province of Noord-Holland, the Hollands Noorderkwartier Polder Board [ Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier ] and the Noord-Holland Environmental Federation, the process was considered and conclusions were drawn. The decision-making process led to all the parties becoming more aware of the fact that the status of a World Heritage Site has consequences for the Beemster Polder. It is not that no spatial development is possible and that the polder will become just an open air museum; rather, developments need to be tested in the light of the outstanding value of the area, with stringent quality requirements needing to be imposed for the design and incorporation into the landscape. With a view to preventing future disputes regarding what is and is not possible within this “living” World Heritage Site, the Municipality of Beemster decided to have a vision for the future drawn up. This appeared in 2006 with the title Development Plan for the Beemster Polder [ Ontwikkelingsvisie Des Beemsters ; Appendix 2]. It investigated how the features of the polder could be respected and reinforced in the event of future spatial development. When the report was drawn up, consideration was given mainly to how the polder had been created, how it had grown, and how it had been used; this was in order to define links to the present and future. The past could provide a context for present and future developments. Viewed in this way, heritage is not just something static left over from the past but develops constantly anew. The project looked not only at the “official” history of the landscape but also at the “non-official” aspect, namely how the residents viewed matters. According to the Development Plan, heritage is not, after all, purely scholarly and based on unmistakable truths but is just as much determined by what non-scholars feel to be their heritage.

The recommendations in the report comprised a vision for the Beemster Polder and a framework in which future developments could be tested as regards their potential detrimental effect on the outstanding features of the Beemster as well as a way of using those features as a basis for guiding and implementing future development. In other words, whether something was appropriate for the Beemster Polder would not be tested or decided on with hindsight but would determine the direction of development from the very beginning. The report therefore aimed to be more than merely a collection of projects: it was a way of working based on a decisive role for the features of the Beemster Polder in spatial planning. It constituted a typical, specific “Beemster” approach.

The vision was worked out in the form of nineteen specific spatial projects involving, for example, water storage and water management, the design of farm premises, facilities for horses, and energy and landscape. The projects tested the rules for the Beemster Polder, after which these would be incorporated into municipal policy. Some of the projects would link up directly with the new zoning plan that was to be drawn up for the rural area of the municipality. Others would contribute to understanding of certain developments in the Beemster Polder against which the municipality could coordinate its policy. A third group of projects focused on two concrete architectural assignments with a national and international impact. For a number of projects, co-financing was received from the national Spatial and Cultural Action Programme [ Actieprogramma Ruimte en Cultuur ] and the provincial budget for Investment in the Rural Area (ILG).

In order to implement the projects and to anchor the approach in the Beemster Polder, the Municipality of Beemster set up a special implementation organisation with effect from 1 September 2007: the Beemster Bureau [ Bureau des Beemsters ]. The responsible Executive Alderman is Han Hefting and the project coordinator for the Bureau is Harry Roenhorst. The Bureau is assisted by an independent Quality Team that advises the municipal authorities on large-scale spatial projects. The team considers a wide range of spatial initiatives and examines the quality of designs, strategy, and feasibility. It is made up of leading national experts in the field of heritage, landscape, urban planning, and architecture.

11 5. New plans

In March 2008, CONO Kaasmakers brought forward new initiatives. The cooperative wished to expand and requested the cooperation of the municipality. A new building would need to be constructed and this would take up a greater area. To that end, CONO had purchased an adjoining plot of land. Having learned from the past, CONO engaged the REDscape firm of designers to draw up plans for the design and for incorporating the new building into the landscape and to determine the basic principles for the expansion. In order to increase the likelihood of the design being of high quality and enjoying broad support, CONO intended to organise a competition and to present the result to the municipality and to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The municipality said that it would await the results of the competition and that it would present the winning plan to the Quality Team at the appropriate time. Only after that point would the plan be submitted to the Beemster Municipal Council and – via the (then) National Service for Archaeology, Cultural Landscape and Built Heritage (RACM) – to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The municipality also pointed out that the maximum construction height – 11 metres – was an important point. The height of 11 metres was related to the height of a typical Beemster farmhouse.

The Quality Team – which had been asked to advise on CONO’s expansion plans, in particular the preliminary design as presented in the plan for integration into the landscape – presented its recommendations to the Beemster Municipal Council on 28 July 2008. In its recommendations, the Quality Team again emphasised the importance of the plans being considered “with the greatest possible care and precision” because of the status of the Beemster Polder as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Quality Team expressed its appreciation of the main points of the preliminary design because they strongly emphasised the thinking of the Development Plan for the Beemster Polder report and the existing situation – with industrial buildings that had grown together – was to be replaced by a spacious, green front area. The team considered it extremely important for there to be definite support for the preliminary design from the authorities, advisory bodies, and local interest groups that were involved. It was only if there was a broad basis of support that implementation of the multiple architectural design could commence.

One of the parties consulted by the municipality was the National Service for Archaeology, Cultural Landscape and Built Heritage (RACM) (now called the Cultural Heritage Agency). In a letter of 11 November 2008 (Appendix 3), the RACM informed the municipality about national policy for the “Laag Holland” National Landscape and the Beemster Polder National Heritage site located within it. That policy allows for large-scale developments only if the core features of the polder are reinforced or at least preserved. Because large-scale development was concerned, the RACM recommended that consideration should first be given to the choice of location (relocating some or all of the commercial activities outside the Beemster Polder) before it was possible to deal with the potential spatial and architectural integration. The RACM also pointed out that expansion of the cheese factory as foreseen might well be considered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee as constituting “a negative impact on the ‘universal and outstanding values’ of the Beemster Polder”. The RACM referred to the potential consequences of this.

The Municipal Executive informed CONO’s management of this, requesting it not to undertake any irreversible, unilateral steps. It also requested CONO to investigate alternative sites. The municipality also consulted the Quality Team again and requested the Province of Noord-Holland – which is responsible for the Regional Plan and the National Landscapes – to state its official position.

Things then moved fast. CONO organised the design competition and appointed a jury chaired by the former Government Architect Prof. Tjeerd Dijkstra, and with the architects Mels Crouwel, Michael van Gessel, and Maarten Kloos as members. The jury decided not to take REDscape’s incorporation

12 plan as the basis for the Multiple Design Assignment but to have the architects work out their own incorporation plan.

At the same time, the Municipal Executive informed the Municipal Council about the situation that had arisen and it also requested the advice of the Government Advisers for Landscape and Heritage. The advisers visited the Beemster Polder on 4 February 2009 and issued their advisory report on 31 March (Appendix 4). As their basic principle, the Government Advisers applied the Statement of Outstanding Universal Value , in so far as that could be derived from the decision by the World Heritage Committee on the proposal for designation of the Beemster Polder as a World Heritage Site. The Government Advisers first praised the municipal organisation that had been constructed – with the Beemster project office and the Quality Team – and that was intended to ensure respectful treatment of the polder’s heritage features. They also praised the administrative aims.

The Government Advisers had this to say regarding CONO Kaasmakers’s plans for a new building: “Given the nature of the Beemster Polder as an ingenious ‘man-made landscape’, it is appropriate not to render new developments impossible. However, each new addition to the polder landscape must relate very precisely to the proportions of the polder so as not to detract from appreciation of its spatial structure. In addition, the design of new developments must fit in with the characteristic attractiveness of the Beemster Polder.” From that perspective, the Government Advisers arrived at the following recommendations: - Consider whether an alternative location would offer better development possibilities; - If there is no realistic alternative, then it should be clearly specified that it is only possible for the factory to expand because of the programmatic relationship that it has to the history of the Beemster Polder. This will prevent the expansion acting as a precedent; - The size of the construction site should be in the right balance with the proportions of the polder. A plot depth of 300 metres and a polder area of 900 x 900 metres is acceptable; the problem is in the proposed width of the plot of land involved. The length and breadth need to fit in with the geometry of the polder and the existing strip-like layout of the land; - Except for the striking whey powder tower, the factory buildings should not be visible above the trees/shrubs etc. planted around the site. An ample number of trees/shrubs etc. should be planted around the site; - The high level of architectural ambition for the construction of the whey powder tower allows one to be confident that expansion of the CONO factory can be made attractive in a way that fits in with the tradition of the Beemster Polder. Taking all the various aspects into consideration, the Government Advisers found that expansion of the CONO factory was possible at this location.

Finally, the municipality approached the Minister of Culture with a view to arriving at greater clarity regarding the requirements for this spatial project, one in which pride in heritage and the desire to manage it properly appeared to conflict with the ambition of “keeping up to date” and providing employment. In a letter of 15 April 2009 (Appendix 5), the Municipal Executive stated: “We need clear rules within which to perform our role. ... When the site was designated in 1999, no management protocol was drawn up for the Beemster Polder in the way that UNESCO now requires, in the form of a Conservation Management Plan. Because that was not done, each party interprets the possibility/impossibility of transformation in its own way. We are looking for a solution to what has become an impossible situation for the municipality.”

The Multiple Design Assignment was by then being tackled energetically. The initial assessment took place in January 2009, with two candidates then remaining. On 17 June, the jury presented its report on the Multiple Design Assignment to CONO Kaasmakers (Appendix 6). The winner was again the design team at the architectural firm of Bastiaan Jongerius. According to the final

13 assessment, their plan comprised everything necessary to contribute an appropriate contemporary addition to the landscape and architecture of the Beemster Polder.

As regarded the location for the new building, the jury considered that “the result of the multiple assignment shows that the proposed modernisation and expansion of the cheese factory is very well compatible with the status of the Beemster Polder as a World Heritage Site. Indeed, the Beemster Polder has always been a working landscape, and one where working “at one’s premises” is typical. Keeping the cheese factory as a commercial operation linked to the polder will help prevent the polder becoming a museum-like tourist area from which real life has disappeared.” The committee emphasised that the proposed development was a major improvement on the existing untidy situation. In particular, it considered the clearance of the western plot of land – where most of the current factory buildings are situated – to be a positive aspect.

The jury did, however, draw attention to a number of points that needed to be borne in mind. The optimum ratio between the length and breadth of the plot of land and the dimensions of the factory building, for example, needed to be investigated further from the point of view of the design. The positioning vis-à-vis the road and the associated structure of the front area also needed to be given further consideration.

After the results of the Multiple Design Assignment had been announced, the winning architectural firm began working out the design in detail, incorporating the various points for consideration into the final design. A number of presentations were also given in order to gain support for the design. A meeting was held on 19 August 2009, for example, to present the design to representatives of national government and the province. Amongst those attending were the Spatial Quality Adviser for the Province of Noord-Holland and the head of the Cultural Heritage Agency (Western Region). During the course of discussion at that meeting, specific questions were asked regarding the reasons for the factory remaining in the Beemster Polder rather than moving to an industrial estate elsewhere. In reply, CONO said that the cooperative had been associated historically – for more than 100 years – with its present location and that the management and the members – CONO is of course a farmers’ cooperative – wished to continue that association. The association with the polder was also expressed by the name of the factory’s product, “Beemster cheese”. CONO also contributed to the quality of cattle farming in the polder and to the survival of the farms, which were vital to the appearance of the polder. The distinct local character of the factory as a cheese dairy made this a special case and it would therefore not create a precedent for allowing other factories to expand. CONO did not deny that commercial considerations were important: construction of the whey powder tower in 2005 had involved significant investment at that location, and that investment had not yet been written off. Relocating the factory elsewhere would involve a major destruction of capital.

The architect then presented his design and his studies of the best form that the factory should take as regarded its visibility within the landscape, the use of perspective, and the history and appearance of the Beemster Polder. His main conclusions were: - not to create a complex consisting of separate buildings but to construct the cheese factory as a single long building (224 x 56 metres) on a single plot of land, meaning that the factory would in future consist of two separate plots of land alongside one another: one for the new cheese dairy and another for the whey powder tower with all the delivery and shipping facilities behind it; - retention to the maximum extent of views from the “Rijperweg” road into the landscape behind; - after construction of the new building, the plot where the existing factory is located should be entirely cleared;

14 - as regards its architecture, the new building should not be just a “hard box” but a transparent and consequently “communicative” building within the landscape; - the facade should be in layers, consisting of the glass wall of the factory surrounded by a gallery of wooden columns in a five-metre pattern, with sun-screening made up of glass slats in between. The detailing of the foot of the gallery should be such that the building appeared to float above the grassland; - the height of the building should be minimised (approx. 7 metres).

The representatives of national government and the province expressed their appreciation for the procedure that had been followed and for the quality of the design. They considered that a major improvement in the design was that the proposed new factory would be situated entirely on its own plot of land and would no longer be partly constructed – as in the current situation – across a dividing watercourse. Another positive point was that after the new factory had been constructed the existing one would be completely demolished and the original structure of roads, watercourses, and planting would be returned entirely to the original situation. There was also discussion of how the World Heritage Committee should be informed and how the plans would be assessed. It was decided that the World Heritage Committee should be notified of the plans for the new building prior to a decision being taken.

The management, the architectural firm, and the landscape architect then presented the design to the Beemster Municipal Executive (13 October 2009) and to the Beemster Quality Team (11 February 2010). The Quality Team then made recommendations to the Municipal Executive on March 2010 (Appendix 7). The Quality Team expressed itself extremely favourably about the building, which it described as “a restrained spectacle” that had the appearance of a pavilion within the grassland. The essential activity of the complex – making cheese – would take place inside; from the outside, the building would appear as a shining, finished mass. The height and design of the building and the green area surrounding it were in the right relationship to the scale and dimensions of the plots of land of the Beemster Polder. The Quality Team was enthusiastic about the white-grey colour of the factory, which did not dominate and that had a different appearance as the daylight changed.

Despite this favourable overall assessment, the Quality Team did have a number of criticisms, for example rejecting the use of reeds to surround the service area as being foreign to the area. The Quality Team also had comments regarding the profile of the road, the openness of the area in front of the factory, the prevention of the emanation of light during the night, and the use of wood for the colonnade around the outside of the factory building. The Quality Team noted, finally, that its assessment concerned the existing design and that any changes could lead to discord between the design and the incorporation of the new factory into the landscape.

On 6 April 2010, the plans were then presented to the Cultural Heritage Agency (Appendix 8). Because the Agency is required to assess the permissibility of the new building and the extent to which it can be incorporated into a World Heritage Site, the secretary of ICOMOS Netherlands, Mr Benedict Goes, was also invited to attend. During the presentation, CONO’s director emphasised how proud the cooperative was as a purveyor to the Royal Household to be located within a World Heritage Site. This gave the cooperative extra lustre, and was a reason why it wished to deal carefully with the surrounding World Heritage Site. He assured those present that after the new building had been constructed there would be no further expansion of the complex at the present site. There was absolutely no question of any “salami tactics”. The representatives of the Cultural Heritage Agency and ICOMOS Nederland listened to the presentation and asked a number of questions but said they would wait for further information before arriving at their assessment. During a meeting with the executive councillor responsible for spatial planning (31 May 2010), the representatives of the Agency said that they considered the plans to be

15 defensible and that the procedure leading up to the proposal had been extremely meticulous. The Agency therefore considered the draft proposal for the extension of the CONO cheese factory to be compatible with the Outstanding Universal Value of the Beemster Polder. It would notify the World Heritage Centre to that effect. The agreements reached were confirmed in writing in a letter, which was sent on 16 July 2010. (The letter has been translated into English and is enclosed as Appendix 9)

The same day, 16 July 2010, CONO Kaasmakers submitted an application for a building permit for the new building at the cheese factory. CONO also informed the municipality that it had acquired ownership of the necessary land. CONO requested the municipality to amend the zoning plan pursuant to Section 3(10) of the Spatial Planning Act [ WRO ]. In support of its application, CONO enclosed the report “Spatial Arguments regarding Application for Amendment of Zoning Plan ‘CONO Beemster’ for New Building at Production Site CONO Kaasmakers in Westbeemster” [Ruimtelijke onderbouwing inzake verzoek wijziging bestemmingsplan ‘CONO Beemster’ ten behoeve van nieuwbouw productielocatie CONO Kaasmakers te Westbeemster ]. The municipality is currently considering both applications.

As regards the permit procedure that must be followed, it should be noted that the zoning plan will first need to be amended. As the relevant representative of national government, the Cultural Heritage Agency can make recommendations regarding the draft zoning plan. The Agency can also submit a “statement of views” [ zienswijze ] regarding adoption of the zoning plan. Only then can the application for the building permit be dealt with. It is the Municipality of Beemster that issues the permit and that adopts the zoning plan. All the usual procedures apply that are provided for under Dutch law (submission of statements of views, legal proceedings). It is expected that all the necessary procedures will be completed by mid-2011.

16 6. Conclusion

When the Beemster Polder was included in the World Heritage List, the presence of the CONO Kaasmakers factory did not play any significant role. Production of cheese must, however, be considered as an economic activity that has always been associated with the Beemster Polder. It remains of major importance for many of the farmers in and around that polder.

During the process of planning and decision-making regarding the construction of a whey powder tower at the factory (1999–2004), the siteholder and other parties involved became increasingly aware of their special responsibility for ensuring and managing the Outstanding Universal Value of the Beemster Polder World Heritage Site. This led, on the one hand, to a balanced and harmonious design for a whey powder tower of high architectural quality and, on the other, to the adoption of a Development Plan for the Beemster Polder and the setting up of a Quality Team to advise the Municipal Executive on major spatial developments.

The development policy pursued by the municipality proved its value when CONO initiated a new plan in 2007 for rebuilding the existing cheese factory. Right from the beginning, the Municipality of Beemster pursued a careful process of consideration. This has resulted in a design for the new factory and its incorporation into the landscape that takes full account of the special features of the World Heritage Site. It has led to the design of a transparent building whose height and design fit in well with the scale and dimensions of the Beemster landscape. Unattractive changes carried out in the past will be remediated and the existing factory building will be demolished. Throughout the process, all the necessary procedures have been properly complied with and all the relevant interests have been carefully considered.

It can be concluded that the Dutch Government does not consider construction of the whey tower and the new factory to be contrary to preservation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the Beemster Polder. The course of the procedure and the decision-making regarding the changes to the Beemster cheese factory are an example of how the siteholder of a World Heritage Site – in this case the Municipality of Beemster – is aware of its management responsibility and of how it implements that responsibility.

17 Appendices

1. Draft Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, January 2011 2. Development Plan for the Beemster Polder/Ontwikkelingsvisie Des Beemsters, 2006 3. Letter from the National Service for Archaeology, Cultural Landscape and Built Heritage to the Beemster Municipal Executive concerning the expansion of the CONO cheese factory, 11 November 2008. 4. Letter from the Board of Government Advisers to the Beemster Municipal Executive concerning recommendations regarding the new CONO building, 31 March 2009. 5. Letter from the Municipality of Beemster to the Minister of Education, Culture and Science, 15 April 2009. 6. CONO Jury. Assessment Report Multiple Design Assignment CONO Kaasmakers, 17 June 2009. 7. Advisory Report by Beemster Quality Team, 2 March 2010. 8. Power Point presentation of Bastiaan Jongerius architects, 6 April 2010 9. Letter from Cultural Heritage Agency to Beemster Municipal Executive, 16 July 2010. 10. Photographs of the CONO Cheesemakers factory 11. Google Map with the extension of the new CONO Factory

18