A road trip on European highways Considering the spatial qualities of E75 and E50

A phenomenalist approach in the observation of spatial qualities of the E75 Barentsz Sea – Crete and E50 Brest – Makhachkala

MICHEL HEESEN

Heesen, M. (2015). A road trip on European highways. Considering the spatial qualities of E75 and E50. A phenomenalist approach in the observation of spatial qualities of the E75 Barentsz Sea – Crete and E50 Brest – Makhachkala. Research In Urbanism Series, 3(1), 159-177. doi:10.7480/rius.3.836 KEYWORDS design; highway infrastructure; transport space; public E50; E75; highways; European highways; phenomenology of a highway: the sense of travelling on one continuous route, the sense of route, the sense on one continuous of travelling the sense of a highway: being part of a high quality public of control, the sense and state surveillance the level of along the road and of educating elements the existence space, collected on methodologically based The paper draws conclusions technology. recommendations for designers. observations and translates these into and economically driven approach to highway design is a poor and vulnerable and poor a is design highway to approach driven economically and contemporary design policy that The paper further demonstrates strategy. built structures, of aesthetics the on focus strong with a , in the experience. spatial the on impact more much have that aspects neglects The paper zooms in on five aspects that heavily affect the spatial experience In contemporary designs, however, highways are regarded more and more as are regarded highways however, In contemporary designs, heard or smelled. Functional aspects seen, not to be something sewage systems: such as noise reduction and traffic capacity prevail above spatial design. This paper shows how different countries are coping with these conflicting issues. practice contemporary the to relate and how these practices best It shows a technocratic that argues paper in the Netherlands.The of highway design to highway design research, based on using photos and observations as and observations on using photos based design research, to highway of weeks twelve on is based research The in its own. evidence of source a eating only in road-side photos, sleeping along the road, driving, shooting used to and shopkeepers. There waitresses and interviews with restaurants highways. of quality spatial and experience scenic the for attention of lot a be Abstract routes highway longest the road trip, travelling a on reader the takes paper This methodology a on based conclusions drawing and continent European the of approach a phenomenalist The paper introduces observation. of practical

FLOWSCAPES–DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE AS LANDSCAPE 160 A ROAD TRIP ON EUROPEAN HIGHWAYS 161 ------The first traf first The . INTRODUCTION: THE DECLINE OF THE SCENIC ROUTE OF THE SCENIC THE DECLINE INTRODUCTION: Being design in this project involved as an architect in a long-term and Highways became like sewage functional and canals: something merely In the In the 1970s, the dark side of the highway concept emerged 1. quality spatial and experience on the scenic attention be a lot of used to There highways. The The American parkway concept highways. was based on a scenic route, with the the spatial and social quality of what Jürgen Habermas calls the public the sphere calls Habermas Jürgen social quality of what spatial and the (Habermas, 1962)? And what are best practices in this? And finally, what can architects and landscape designers learn from all of this? tinguishable from other routes by means of architecture (Patijn et al., 2001). Is tinguishable other routes by means of architecture from it this a meaningful design strategy? Is imaginable the high has that a highway piazza, to detail of, say, an Italian level of spatialattention quality and with pects. Spatial upgrade and to an aesthetic aspects of the design are reduced transformation of the network into uniquely identifiable routes, clearly dis er countries coping practic with the design of highways and how do these Dutch contemporary The design practice to the es relate in the Netherlands? design policy on highways is largely based on technocratic and economic as strategy for the entire route of highway A4 between and Antwerp Amsterdam entire route of highway A4 between strategy for the 2005), a of questions arose. First number of all, how are oth (Heesen & Top, this stretch of seven kilometres of highway was finally accepted by the stake the by accepted finally was highway of kilometres seven of stretch this the condition holders, under the new highway would be that invisible, not to be heard nor smelled (Peijs, 2006). is currently under construction in the meadowlands between and between Rotterdam construction in under the meadowlands is currently : After sixty highway A4. years of discussion, of the construction blinded by sound-baffling screens (CBS, PBL, 2007). blinded by sound-baffling screens preferably invisible, not to be The nor smelled. climax heard, of approach this screens and hidden by bushes. For example, by bushes. since the introduction of the 1979 hidden and screens the view upon (law on noise reduction) in the Netherlands, ‘Wet Geluidhinder’ the landscape along more than five hundred kilometres of highways has been mism of the early days vanished. The spatial intentions became less impor spatial The less intentions became vanished. days mism of the early and administrative tant than functional aspects, such as safety, capacity and noise reduction. Highways became canals for cars, isolated by sound-baffling fic jams, deathly accidents, noise and pollution, the oil crisis and the alerts by concept. The opti were limits to the there clear that Club of Rome made the about highways. City dwellers even used the road shoulder as a place to relax: a as a place to road shoulder dwellers even used the City about highways. (O.M.A., 2006). cars and trucks roll by watching highway, picnic alongside the & Van Winden, 2007). In the Netherlands, the design of the firsthighways was based on similar intentions and was a co-production of state engineers and state optimistic feel was an 1960s, there the Until 2011a). (Heesen, landscape architects 1940 Meritt Parkway in Connecticut as a bright example (Giedion, 1941). The same 1941). example (Giedion, a bright in Connecticut as Parkway 1940 Meritt the of guidelines scenic the by influenced heavily Autobahn, German the for goes (Nijenhuis (1785-1871) Fürst von Pückler Hermann architect German landscape of ­ - - - - - Food and the inhabitants of the E75 Figure 1 PHENOMENALIST METHODS: A ROAD TRIP ON THE LONGEST EUROPEAN ROUTES LONGEST EUROPEAN ON THE A ROAD TRIP METHODS: PHENOMENALIST In order to introduce a framework for our observations, the following re observations, the our for a framework to introduce order In 2. During the initial desktop research on the differences in highway design ally, sleeping accommodations and food supplies were solely confined to mo to confined solely were supplies food and accommodations sleeping ally, stops, the ‘inhabitants’ along the route. During tels and roadside restaurants of the E-road, for instance shop keepers and waitresses, subjected were to 1). interviews (figure psychology, where photos and observations are considered to be a source of to be a source observations are considered photos and psychology, where evidence in its own. one designated route and was agreed upon: we would travel search method make an obligatory stop at every public space along the route, for example picnic Addition areas, parking places, gas restaurants. stations and roadside tectural and landscape design of highway E50, of highway E50, landscape design and is a end street. Yet, dead the tectural of Instead countries. different in practices different compare to was intention the expertdata, a more practical approachanalysing method of collecting and of approach. observation: a phenomenalist was used, based on This method ‘research by observation’ is a common method in the field of environmental in different countries, a practical problem arose: in many countries, it is vir impossible to interview tually an expert. For example, the local road calling the archi for been responsible asking who has Ukraine and in the authorities

FLOWSCAPES–DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE AS LANDSCAPE 162 A ROAD TRIP ON EUROPEAN HIGHWAYS 163 ------European routes E50 and E75 Figure 2 The E75 starts in Vardø, a Norwegian fisherman village on an island in The E75 is part of the European international system of route designa international system is part of the European The E75 The first road trip took place on the E75, the longest southbound E-route southbound longest the E75, the on place took trip road first The Local Local memorabilia related to the route was collected, such as postcards Republic of Macedonia Part of the E75 is a dotted line crossing and Greece. the Baltic Sea. This part is of the route connection a between seasonal ferry Helsinki and Gdansk. 5,700 kilometres across the continent, ending in the harbor of Sitía, a small nine countries, linking village through on the Greek island of Crete. It runs Norway, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, the the Barentsz Sea, located east of St. Petersburg. The route runs approximately The route runs the Barentsz Sea, located east of St. Petersburg. kilometres and includes every regionally important road. The most signifi zero a or north-south) (direction five a with ending numbers have routes cant (east-west). tions, originally envisaged as a grid of highways comparable to the US Inter over 150,000 state Highways (United Nations, 1950). The network measures considered part of the experience. considered 2). (figure in Europe Whenever one Whenever considered a the research team the members of of certain as pect to be significant, a stop was implemented. And finally, theuse ofelec tronic route navigation was not allowed, following the traffic signs was tobe showing a bridge or brochures for new residential areas. Every hundred kilo hundred Every areas. residential new for or brochures a bridge showing landscape. was taken of the surrounding a the odometer, metres on picture - - - - - The oldest

route or just consecutive roads? and identifiable One unique OBSERVATIONS ON THE E75 AND E50 OBSERVATIONS

In the Netherlands, a governmental policy document on architecture a governmental policy document on architecture In the Netherlands, 3. During our research on the E75 and E50, many different aspects related 3.1 Experienced journalists advised against advised against trying to drive as far as we Experienced could. journalists Our method of research and documentation remained largely the same, same, the largely remained documentation and of research method Our After spending one-and-a-half months on European highways for the the for highways on European months spending one-and-a-half After Including the trip from the Netherlands to the northern tip Norway of northern the to Netherlands the the trip from Including and landscape design aims at transforming four international highways into international four and landscape design aims at transforming uniquely identifiable routes. The primary aim of the vision is to preventur ban sprawl and degeneration (‘verrommeling’) (Fabrique, 2005). to the design of the highway were registered. Observations of five significant below. described are highway the of experience spatial the affect that aspects The road trip on the E50 brought the overall distance of the project distance of the to 25,000 overall the E50 brought trip on the The road kilometres. not be of the the way to the end of the route: the final stretch able to drive all Chechnya the war zones of North-Ossetia-Alania, straight through E50 runs and Dagestan. of hoping not to become Instead a hostage in the Caucasus, we to decided on the E90, back passing to the Netherlands Istanbul. bend south and travel E75. We skipped the obligatory stop the material at every 100 kilometres: addition, In we decided to halt was not that interesting. gained by this method organisations (galleries, embassies, universities of local cultural at a number aspects. on social to collect more information and so on) in order and cultural The biggest difference with the E75 trip, was that on this occasion wewould eastbound route. We decided to go for European highway E50, a route of ap a route highway E50, European We decided to go for route. eastbound lo city of Brest, French harbour between the kilometres proximately 6,000 city of Makhachkala, the and Europe edge of continental western cated on the shore of the Caspian Sea. located on the western except based on the previous for some slight changes experiences along the ed to public ed to public space. in document the E75 to order In professional way, a Hans accompa cameraman, and photographer documentary Stakelbeek, a Dutch the whole trip. team during nied the research six weeks on an another with research trip, E75 we decided to expandour and the route back the route and from Crete, trip E75 road the to accounted approximately 12,000 The plan kilometres. was to spatial analyse the characteristics of the piazza: Italian an documenting by analyse would way as one same in the E75 relat aspects social, cultural and and historical elements physical both the

FLOWSCAPES–DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE AS LANDSCAPE 164 A ROAD TRIP ON EUROPEAN HIGHWAYS 165 - - - - “While I am sun “While tanning in Greece, you Postcard collected on the island of Crete (Greece) (figure 3). (figure Figure 3 As a source of evidence, we ‘inhabitants’ of the E75 and decided to ask the As a source In order to In order improve of the highway, the aesthetics an industrial design mometer. The text on the postcard stated: are freezing up north” island of Crete, we were able to buy a postcard showing a photo of a topless of Crete, a postcard showing we were able to buy island girl a on the beach and photo of a reindeer in separated by a ther the snow, one who had any notion of the fact that this route links the arctic one who had any notion of the fact circle with the Mediterranean Sea, that it is an international route between Santa Claus was one exceptionon the beaches of Crete. There rule: to the the sunny and E50 (such as shop E50 (such as shop keepers, waitresses and border patrol) where the route that meet any along the E75 did we Nowhere we were driving ended. on actually dam-Paris (A4/E19) (Heesen, 2011b). Driving on the E75 and E50 we wondered and E75 Driving on the (A4/E19) (Heesen, 2011b). dam-Paris just consecutive if more than same applied the Are they the E-routes. to regions and nations? stretches of road through consecutive of highway into one uniquely identifiable route is now implemented for the Amster A2/E25) (highway and Amsterdam-Palermo route part of the Dutch this long-term this long-term project, each single light pole in the route already been has marked with a two and sticker shades showing a rainbow in orange, purple consecutive stretches of transforming A similar design strategy of green. office created a set of geometrically related elements, ranging from a modular a modular from ranging elements, related geometrically of a set created office design for sound-baffling screens to specifications for new light poles, road crossings, bicycle and so on. As a kind of logo wildlife crossings tunnels, on cuts through a variety of landscape types: meadowland (light green), forest (light green), meadowland of landscape types: a variety cuts through (purple). sprawl and urban city (orange) (dark green), Dutch highway, the A12 between The Hague and the border with Germany, with Germany, border the and The Hague between the A12 highway, Dutch pilot is the project Regen ‘A12 been labeled has route vision. The of this boogroute’ (rainbow route), the observation derived from this motorway that - - Landing strip in the E75 in northern Finland Figure 4 In many countries though, the E-route is hard to recognize as one con is hard E-route countries though, the many In Albeit there is no slogan (Get your kicks on Route 66), the itself is road Albeit there is no slogan (Get your Sometimes, Sometimes, it was even hard to find the E-route all. at The feel best the lack of border control on the E75 gave us a strong feeling of travelling us a strong feeling of travelling the lack of border control on the E75 gave in one system, on one international route linking regions and nations. We managed to pass twenty national borders and board five ferries in a rusty old Benz without carrying the legal papers car (which the Dutch police of the had tinuous route. In France, the E50 runs on eight different highways, all with a different look and feel, ranging from oldschool national highwaysdiabolic Paris Peripherique toll roads like and state-of-the-art the A6. Albeit to the been given names, for example ‘Autoroute have the main international routes hand, other the On E50. route label on European is no such Soleil’, du there branded as a tourist destination and lined with shops and Bed & Breakfasts. branded as a tourist into a landing strip (figure 4), the route even feels like the Europeanversion 66. of Route ing route of one was in countries its shares the E-number where with route a is E75 example, the for Finland, where In long distance connection. national sometimes main and as the serves way to Helsinki, road all the the called E75 transformed is occasionally the E75 Up north, where route. southbound only

FLOWSCAPES–DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE AS LANDSCAPE 166 A ROAD TRIP ON EUROPEAN HIGHWAYS 167 - - - - personal freedom or state surveillance? A sense of In Russia, In Russia, especially in the Caucasus, local policemen did not even pre One of the striking aspects of travelling on the E75 and E50 was that One of the striking aspects of travelling 3.2 of a and car motorway in on the hard shoulder Netherlands the Park your In this aspect, the E50 was not as relaxed as the E75. The further east, the In this aspect, The further as the E75. E50 was not as relaxed the tend to collect a fine. They simply made all luxury vehicles pull over and pay. According to some of the locals we interviewed, the required fee depends: at all approaching luxury vehicles and start collecting Occasionally, penalties. start vehicles and at all approaching luxury out to be made of cardboard, placed by the man pointing a laser gun turned inhabitants to bring down the speed of passing vehicles. police squad: they typically place a 30 km/h traffic sign in such a way that it is it that a way such in sign traffic km/h 30 a place typically they squad: police almost invisible a from the road (behind tree, for instance), point a laser gun that whenever we saw a nice panorama, we were able to stop and immedi and we saw a nice panorama, we were able to stop whenever that and for the Ukraine Except, two. Or three. take a photo. Or of course, ately of income for the local Russia. The main of the roads Ukraine are a source in many countries we were able to park our vehicle anywhere, at any time at any vehicle anywhere, countries we were able to park our in many without road assistance service any authority or showing up. The absence of It meant for example, led to a great sense of personal freedom. surveillance The software is programmed in such a way that anything out of the ordinary is ordinary out of the anything a way that in such is programmed The software that is not moving. being registered, for example, a vehicle ital red cross and your car will get The cameras away for safety reasons. towed ital red cross and your object 50 centimeters. any along Dutch highways are able to detect larger than within ten minutes, the police or a service vehicle road au of the national will arrive, of a dig lane will be closed by means the adjacent highway thority 250TD). down in Germany, we were not allowed to take the replacement car offered by offered car replacement the take to allowed not were we Germany, in down only option, was to into company drive the Czech Republic. Our the insurance vehicle (a W124 pick research and another up all the way back to Rotterdam had to switch insurance companies, because the Ukraine and Russia were not were not Russia and companies, Ukraine because the to switch insurance had vehicle broke 300TD research W123 the engine of our When covered by some. Besides physical aspects associated with border control (barriers, gates) and (barriers, gates) control associated with border Besides physical aspects that there were also invisible out borders red tape (passports, visa), it turned the trip, we During in administrative other aspects, as car such insurance. the start of our trip, we already knew that it be would of the start virtually impossible our to this region was A prelude Caucasus. the in borders of the some to cross the border between Russia and the Ukraine, which took half a day to pass. highway such as different asphalt and different colors of lining and signing. colors of lining asphalt and different such as different highway longer it took to pass lines between the imaginary From nations and regions. confiscated during a routine check of the mechanical conditionof the car in trip). border between the Often, nations was the week prior to of the start our appearance and visible of the lay-out change in the because of a slight only - - - - The highest fee paid during our trip trip was 4,000 Russian ruble our fee paid The highest during

space or Eurodisney? A truly public Now, compare to the described Dutch layout the general spatial concept 3.3 If you take the exit to a Dutch ‘verzorgingsplaats’ (fuel station) along one Halfway into the Republic Halfway into the of Kabardino-Balkaria, the practice collect of years. The relatively short time for return-on-investment stimulates them to time for return-on-investment The relatively short years. on their parcel. pavement use the cheapest available area). The French space rest is structured of a French ‘Aire de repos’ (literally: picnic area is equipped with wooden furniture and has either no pedestrian and has picnic area is equipped with wooden furniture route to the fuel station or a dead-end route, leading to a fenced collection of garbage cans and a back door with smoking employees. You will probably also maintained owned, is area picnic The used. materials the in differences notice asphalt. The in grass and results operated by the state, which generally and fuel station with shop is leased by an oil for a period company, of ten usually of the state owned highways, you are likely to observe the following layout: to choose between the highway exit leads to a junction where you will have a picnic the actual fuel station with shop or The area behind the fuel station. And then again, despite the fact that there was a taste to the bribery nasty out to be relatively practice Russia, the whole thing turned Ukraine and in the inexpensive after all: the total amount of ‘fines’ and ‘fees’ addedup to less Péage, on the average the toll levied on the E50 in France. One kilometre than about 10 Eurocents. the French network of toll roads, costs lice a roadside market, at all. On we noticed how people were trading without paying, coleslaw. Facing onions for bartering steel canopy of the border the with the Republic Ossetia-Alania, we of North decided to contact experienced much like too this sounded the eye who advised to make a U-turn: journalists, of the storm. A beautiful landscape is hard to enjoy in the vicinity of danger. consecutive rip-offs by local policemen had a negative effect onour spatial came we ahead, were no experience: whenever a village or roadside restaurant foreign licence plate to be our to avoid order landscape. In longer enjoying the we tailgated Russian Kamaz trucks. spotted from afar, fact, to be no po seemed there In vanished. to have seemed ing suddenly fees commanding commanding me to sit down on the passenger’s seat of his blinded Lada and pointing children my the photos of he showed gun at me. Then a machine that he had found in my passport and told me how my car would be confis cated and I would be in thrown jail so ridiculous It sounded until Christmas. that I felt like negotiating, which The down to brought the fee 50 US dollars. locals pay less than foreigners, who pay less than Northern European for European Northern than less who pay foreigners, than pay less locals east, travelled we Moscow citizens. than The further pay less who eigners, it the worse got. (about down with The number was written 120 dollars). US a pencil and erased fee by of this the payment local policeman The enforced after. immediately

FLOWSCAPES–DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE AS LANDSCAPE 168 A ROAD TRIP ON EUROPEAN HIGHWAYS 169 - - - - - described by Marc non-lieux Another aspect of the corporate highway is is that there no escape from A different experience travellingis on the E50 between Paris and the The first stretch of theE50, the N12 running through the Brittany region France 8,000 has over and operated maintained roads kilometres of toll ing a coffee gets you anything between an Italian style espresso and locally inspired ‘cappuccino’ (for example: coffee with whipped cream, three table spoons of sugar, an ooze of lemon syrup and cacao powder). soup and minced reindeer meat with mashed potatoes and blueberries), via potatoes and meat with mashed soup and minced reindeer potatoes, food (cooked onions and hash meat with lots of Central European kitchen (grilled lamb, olives and bread). Order to the Mediterranean gravy) fer an incredible variety of food, any vegetablesalbeit and fruits. The hardly food (such as reindeer sausage changes from Scandinavian menu gradually capital of Slovakia. Order a sausage here, and you will be served a bent piece will be served capital you a sausage here, and of Slovakia. Order aspect, this E75 In the mustard. and in a pool of gravy of meat, smiling at you and the E50 are quite different. The shops and restaurants along the E75 of are often part chain, of the same serving imaginary the same food. The line triangular sandwiches) as refrigurated between ‘international food’ (such the and locally inspired food is drawn somewhere in vicinitythe of Bratislava, Augé (1992). Czech Republic the and in France, Germany restaurants Roadside food. fast private space with the appearance of being public space, where the traveller is private space with the appearance being of public space, where the traveller invited to become a consumer, an example of the dance of convenient things like massage chairs, excellent Italian espresso and clean toilet downside of it seats. The is spaces that these franchised feel very serviced in a shopping a highly mall: or the food-court like much Eurodisney well-maintained highway with public spaces that offer a high service level, are wellness’ ‘traveller’s and picnic where restaurants stations, fuel areas, this corporate exploitation combined in one stop.The upside of is the abun out a picnic area, picnic areas without a shop. out a picnic area, A4), (Autoroute operated by Sanef: this is a toll road a border with Germany of the buildings along the road are located extremely close to the asphalt, the the road are located extremely of the buildings along public fuel stations with spaces are monofunctional: look worn out and they in France, is a toll-free highway. This part of the route has been designed by of the route This part highway. in France, is a toll-free era: some another from a road clearly is and War II World during the Germans inflation. In 2011, the top three of corporations (Vinci Autoroutes, Eiffage and Eiffage Autoroutes, (Vinci corporations of three top the 2011, In inflation. des Comptes, 2013). The privatisation of (Cour billion Sanef) levied 7.6 appearance. has had an effect on their physical the French motorways find services like a playground or a bouncing castle for your kids. castle for your or a bouncing like a playground find services by private companies. It is big with business increasing exceed revenues that like a backbone: with bones being the parking the places spine and the a kind distinguishable a clearly boulevard, of pedestrian leading path back to the en Along route, this pedestrian you are likely to trance of a shop or restaurant. ------3.5 A simple stretch of asphalt or a highly serviced piece of technology? a great impact have capacity and measures safety Netherlands, the In During our road trips on the E75 and E50, we observed many ‘educating E50, we observed many and E75 road trips on the our During Another way of ‘educating Another the people’ is by means in the Netherlands, or a way of educating the people? 3.4 A functional road signs brown-and-white along In the Netherlands, the highway mark The climax in the privatisation of highways was observed in the Czech Czech in the privatisation observed was the climax in The of highways on the spatial wide experience are nowadays The main routes of motorways. planes of asphalt with four to five lanes in each direction, crash barriers, au life-style. When we mentioned the beauty of the bus stops during a lecture a lecture we When of the bus stops mentioned the beauty life-style. during in a bookshop in Kiev and pitied the lack of maintenance, people in the audi the valued mosaics. They old in the we saw beauty that ence were surprised mosaics first of all as part of the former totalitarian regime, as part of a dark heritage. episode in history, not as cultural elements’. Often in Often the shape of signs pointing elements’. out heritage and historical are found Ukraine, educating elements the In a work of art. facts, occasionally inside the concrete bus stops along the E50, where mosaics of tiles propa communist utopian the of aspects other and cornfields athletes, healthy gate of art. For example, highway A27 starts in , where Tom Claassen de Tom where in Almere, For example, of art. A27 starts highway signed a herd of elephants in a concrete jungle. The highway in ends Breda, where Joep van Lieshout created Big Funnelman, a polyester figure lying on (‘percentageregeling art were part of a regulation on his back. The artworks beeldende kunst’): if a building initiative financed by the national govern to be spend on visual arts. 1% of the budget had exceeded 1 million Euro, ment were inspired on a similar system of brown-and-white signs in France signs of brown-and-white and were inspired on a similar system Germany, where people (for example are educated on history vicinity on the of a battle field), culture (the vicinity of heritage buildings, wine regions, fa span of a bridge). mous cheese) and on technology (the the existence of culturally significant landscapes such as national heritage example, A6, for Highway is a route running land. landscapes or reclaimed is equipped and on reclaimed land the level of the high with signs showing way relative a to sea-level. The signs were gift ‘Algemene Neder from the (ANWB), landse Wegenbond’ a private association historically been that has involved in traffic signing and breakdown service in the Netherlands. They ments. Instead of a scenic route, a cinematic Instead ments. experience this of the landscape, continuous commercial. route felt like one part of the Republic. There, not only all roadside restaurants are part are part fran the same of Republic. There, restaurants all roadside not only crossing the highway chise concept,and structures the road also shoulders fact, In that every the observation we made with advertisements. are loaded crossing the E50 carried one or more advertise single concrete structure

FLOWSCAPES–DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE AS LANDSCAPE 170 A ROAD TRIP ON EUROPEAN HIGHWAYS 171 ------“We have found the nearest have found the “We The city of Charkiv was about In countries like Slovakia, the Ukraine and Russia, the whole concept whole concept Russia, the of countries like Slovakia, and Ukraine In the Our Our mechanical trouble also showed the difference in service level be The bad quality of the roads had an effect on our scenic experience: trav experience: scenic our on effect an had roads the of quality bad The In an international context, international context, an with metic high-tech highways, the Dutch In Benz spare parts, since the dictator usually drives one (Rogers, 2004). can investor and traveller Jim Rogers states in his book ‘Adventure capitalist’, capitalist’, Jim Rogers states in his book ‘Adventure can investor and traveller even in the worst failed states, there is at least one workshop with Mercedes- has equipped parking places with concrete roll-on/roll-off vehicle of services was one of or truck. The absence which you can repair your structures, on why we vehicle. the reasons a had chosen As Ameri Mercedes-Benz research a service system with insurance and tow away service seemed to be nonexist and with insurance a service system government the is help to some extent: Ukraine, there in the Although ent. on the road, the insurance company called back: insurance on the road, the Mercedes-Benz workshop: it is located in Charkiv.” suspension broke down. 420 kilometres from where our call center employee was unable to find a single workshop in the database. and were already back The next day, after we had found a workshop ourselves of our first research vehicle broke down, we were towed away to the nearest kilo 60 some destination, our to taxi a offered and workshop Mercedes-Benz Ukraine however, their company from the metres away. Calling the insurance striping. tween different parts of the E50. In Germany, where the worn-out engine elling 30 km/h on a road that looks like a battle field isa very different ex perience from gliding on a meticulously levelled plane of fresh, black, rain directing, noise reducing, tarmac with highly maintained glow-in-the-dark sion broke down. removing sand and mud out of large potholes before refilling the holes with occasions asphalt. On several were cars observed trying to make it home with own vehicle was no exception: the suspen broken axis.three wheels or a Our side of the spectrum was the E50 in the Ukraine, where the potholes in the the potholes the Ukraine, where E50 in the spectrum was side of the deep were sometimes absorb an entire wheel. Near enough to road surface road construction workers equipped Donetsk, we observed blowers, with dust steel construction carrying traffic signing equipment. traffic signing carrying steel construction be exceptional.out to At the other turned planes of asphalt, levelled ulously tomatic tomatic speed detection, light poles, route and traffic flow information, traf fic jam detection,emergency harbours, fog warning, dedicatedcarpool lanes, by a is spanned highway 600 meters, the Every so on. and lanes hour rush ------Built by Design & Construct: the new E50 near Prague (Czech Republic) Figure 5 CONSIDERATIONS FROM THE OBSERVATIONS FROM THE CONSIDERATIONS

Traditionally, European long distance roads have been designed, built, been designed, have long distance roads European Traditionally, One of our questions was: how are other countries coping how are other countries questions was: in with their One of our 4. of high design the some on new questions, with many home We came nies or public-private partnerships, for example in France, Poland, the Czech 5). Republic and Slovakia (figure employed engineers and landscape designers. Only the actual construction employed engineers and landscape designers. Only to private companies. this tradition some countries, In was often outsourced countries, for example, and in Russia. In is in the Scandinavian continued: construction, but also the design, engi the countries though, not only many compa private to outsourced is finance even often and maintenance neering, financed it? Who operates and maintains it? financed it? Who financed, maintainedand operated by the state. From theVia Appia and the in streets of the Roman Empire the network to network the Dutch other paved countries, roads), initiated of ‘rijkswegen’ (main all European by Napoleon. In with state business, of highways was a state-run the design and construction and Russia? We also found answers to our initial research questions. initial research answers to our We also found and Russia? the design practice and how does this relate to in the Nether frastructure stretch on the answer to this question is: it depends of the The start lands? looking of asphalt that you’re at. How old is it? has designed, Who build and ways, many on the future of Europe. In 2020, a smiling will we still be eating In of Europe. future the on ways, many fran been have side restaurants road all or will in a pool of gravy sausage Ukraine E50 in the the to travel or even harder it become easier chised? Will

FLOWSCAPES–DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE AS LANDSCAPE 172 A ROAD TRIP ON EUROPEAN HIGHWAYS 173 - - - - Why are architects focusing on color schemes when a scenic view when of the are architects focusing on color schemes Why In the current practice however,’landscape design’ is often reduced to the In the current Albeit these public-private partnerships have led to highways with a high to highways led Albeit public-private these partnerships have landscape the design of highways was to extent some in Traditionally, The new contracts affectthe spatial experience. The contracts often These kinds of contracts, based on Design, on Design, based of contracts, kinds These Finance,Build, Maintain, new identity, but to stress existing qualities new identity, but to stress by designing the highway in such scenic experience. aspects do not degenerate the a way that all the functional ing strong architectural identities for sound-baffling screens, why not making not why screens, sound-baffling for identities architectural strong ing them out of glass, offering an unhindered view of the landscape and of cities and industrial areas? Then, the role of the architect would not be to create a surrounding landscape could also tell the driver where he is? Instead of creat is? Instead he where driver the landscape could also tell surrounding This focus on architectural means seems to neglect more meaningful aspects means seems to neglect more meaningful aspects This focus on architectural of the spatial experience, such as the experience of the landscape, the public of technology. character of the space and the impact by a different color scheme 6). (figure On some highways in the Netherlands, vocabulary, for example a the same architectural introduced designers have city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. the highway A2 through on the color scheme yellow the landscape the landscape has become invisible, also the orientation on and therefore In means. fallen back on architectural these landscapes, designers have the Slovakia, for example, the exit to every city along the elevated E75, is marked terms of noise reduction. The E75 running through Hungary, for example, terms of noise reduction. The E75 is almost continuously accompanied by wooden sound-baffling screens. Where highway are pure and simple, not crying for attention. highway are pure in Part of that has to do with area of the road side demands modern shoulder. structures was merely a civil engineering job in structures which architects were not in panoramic and views Autobahn, for example, volved. On the German curves crossing the celebrate the qualities of the landscape, whereas the structures calls the public sphere. fluenced bylandscape architects, whereas the design of steel and concrete the feeling of being a public truly space: they feel like airports or Eurodisney, like space, consumer public not space of what Jürgen Habermas in the sense a building permit for aesthetic reasons). a building permit these places also lack service level, and comfortable restaurants, clean toilets highly reward functional and economical aspects, such as traffic flow. Spatial flow. traffic as such aspects, economical and functional reward highly getting not of risk (the ‘managed’ be to has that ‘risk’ a as qualified is quality lic and mowing used to be partnership the road shoulder to farmers limited keeping all based projects are the latest highway (1950s), a reward the grass as or DBFM-contracts. & Construct (D&C) on Design Operate (DBFMO), have got initial the momentum: costs up not show do as Operate (DBFMO), have a deficit in the state budget. Also in Netherlands, the where private-pub - - - - - and

. (Hütter, (toll) in Germany and there is (toll) in Germany Maut “Wir fahren, fahren, fahren, auf der Autobahn...” “Wir Purple color scheme in the new E50 near Presov (Slovakia) Purple color scheme in the new E50 near Presov Figure 6 Albeit obligedtrucks are now to pay Finally, we wondered if we were able to find a highway with the high level level high the with highway a find to able were we if wondered we Finally, a roadside restaurant: located next to the highway and filled with convenient religious fast food, such as electrically powered candles and small take-out booklets with prayers suitable of complaining for trips. Instead on the tem can write down fries in of the French the guest book, the traveller perature Schneider & Schult, 1975) political discussion on levying toll on foreigners, the Autobahn is still very public of this is the Autobahnkirche, a nation space. A symbol a truly much in the vicinity located of the highway and visited by wide network of churches are the religious of version over a million people a The small churches year. space: a highway owned, maintained and operated by the state, open and ac cessible to everyone, where no entrance fee is required, no toll is levied speed limitations are the exception. A social space cul that is part of German acclaimed and in songs, for example hit single Au in the 22 minute long ture tobahn by Kraftwerk: of spatial quality and attention to detail of an Italian piazza. I used to think designed as a public of the German Autobahn as the climax of infrastructure

FLOWSCAPES–DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE AS LANDSCAPE 174 A ROAD TRIP ON EUROPEAN HIGHWAYS 175 - - - rch. Newly weds collecting gifts on the E50 near Chmelnytsky (Ukraine) Newly weds collecting gifts on the E50 near Chmelnytsky Figure 7 This place in central Ukraine felt even more like a ‘classic’ public even more space: Ukraine felt This place in central After drinking champagne rich an and swallowing of cholesterol a snack The social significance of the Autobahn was equalled by an experience engineered around a central monument, a social space, commonly shared by shared a social space, monument, commonly a central engineered around accessible people. open and to the A spacecommunity, with explicit the rules was wedding!). This our implicit drive) and (Drink! It’s drink and rules (Don’t a family member climb up the concrete landmark, trying to put an empty bot tle of champagne as high up as he could. imal seatbelts, parts, we we watched were allowed to move on. Fastening our the communist era. Extraordinary was the fact a that couple of newly weds 7). (figure passing vehicles to pull over road, urging was blocking the a word in cyrillic a word script Khmel of the signifying border administrative the Oblast (province). nytskyi The sign many itself was that extraordinary: not of concrete from a large chunk by marked in the Ukraine are regional borders to detail, a place of social significance, even equipped with its own chu equipped with its even a place of social significance, to detail, in on the E50 We central Ukraine. pulled over at a huge concrete landmark: the names of victims of trafficaccidents: enlistingthem in the book will lead to extra concept The whole reverent. by the prayers an to resemblance shares piazza: Italian public a space attention level of spatial with a high and quality ------. www. . Geneva, United . Den Haag, Planbu Cambridge, Harvard Uni Harvard Cambridge, . Seuil, La Librairie du XXe La Librairie du . Seuil, Den Haag, Sdu Uitgevers . Rotterdam, 010 Publishers . Delft, Rijkswaterstaat . USA, Random House publishing . Amsterdam, Zwarts & Jansma Architecten . Delft, Rijkswaterstaat . Berlin, Luchterhand , Den Haag, Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat De Diabolische Snelweg . Den Haag, Atelier Rijksbouwmeester . , Rijkswaterstaat Geluidsschermen en ZOAB in Nederland, 1975-2000 Les relations entre et les sociétés l’État concessionnaires d’autoroutes A4 Architectonische Specificaties Declaration on the Construction of Main International Traffic Arteries Traffic International Main of Construction the on Declaration Ontwerpen aan Nederland. Architectuurbeleid 2001-2004. Strukturwandel der Öffentlichkeit Routepluim 2011 Geheugen van het Snelweglandschap Space, Time and Architecture. The Growth of a New Tradition. New a of Architecture. The Growth and Space, Time Adventure Capitalist. The Ultimate Road Trip Non-lieux: introduction à une anthropologie de la surmodernité Architectonische specificaties Regenboogroute IODS convenant 23 juni 2006 Machinekamer snelweg REFERENCES Have a nice trip. a Have ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The road trips on the E75 and E50 were made possible through the gen It is hard to imagine that the current practice practice with of DBFM-contracts, current to imagine the that is hard It Nations treaty series ccomptes.fr versity Press siècle reau voor de Leefomgeving Patijn, W. et al. (2001) Heesen, M. & R. Top (2005) Nijenhuis, W. & W. van Winden (2007) O.M.A. (2006) Peijs, K. (2006) Rogers, J. (2004) United Nations (1950) Fabrique (2005) (1941) S. Giedeon, Habermas, J. (1962) Heesen, M. (2011a) Heesen, M. (2011b) Augé, M. (1992) Augé, UR (2007) CBS, PBL, Wageningen Cour des Comptes (2013) erous support of the Netherlands Architecture Fund (Stimuleringsfonds Ar (Stimuleringsfonds Fund Architecture Netherlands support of the erous Design and Archi Foundation for Visual Arts, Netherlands The chitectuur), gold, the and (AIR) Rotterdam Institute BKVB), Architecture (Fonds tecture pro crowd-funding kaalenkammen the of plastic partners silver, bronze and gramme. get out there, it’s inspirational and free of entrance. it’s inspirational get out there, where European highway E50 truly became a piazza. became E50 truly highway European where their focus on efficiency, functionaland economical aspects, will lead to the same kind of spatial quality and social significance. In this sense, the older To all examples architectsoffer and a landscape lot architects: of inspiration.

FLOWSCAPES–DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE AS LANDSCAPE 176 A ROAD TRIP ON EUROPEAN HIGHWAYS 177