Cuckoo: patterns in architecture of swimmingpool Fletiomare

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Title Cuckoo
Client Gemeente Utrecht
Year 2007 - 2009
Technique Screenprint on glass panels, transfers on ceramic titles, screenprint on foil
Architect Koppert & Koenis

This is a rendering of Fletiomare, a new public swimmingpool near Utrecht.
I was asked to add both functional (blocking views from outside) and decorative
elements to the architecture. Image courtesy Koppert + Koenis.

This is what the area used to be like, a typical Dutch polder 'sloot' (canal) depicted
through this schoolplate by Dutch landscape painter M.A. Koekkoek (1875-1944).

Koekkoek (Dutch for cuckoo) worked as illustrator at the former national Museum of Natural History.

His plates are idealized images where all possible species living in the area are combined for
aesthetical and educational purposes. I thought this was a great source of inspiration for Fletiomare.

From 'Wat is natuur nog?' Sijthoff 1978

At my request, Inge van Noortwijk, a part-time scientific illustrator at the current
museum of natural history in Leiden, Naturalis, prepared around 100 'raw' pencildrawings...

... that first had to be interpreted and translated into vectorized 'buildingblocks'.

These 'dry' biological drawing were mixed with structuring elements from various
comics that suggest movement and action. Combined it should look as if the various
creatures in the composition are really interacting in a vibrating wet environment.

From Donald Duck als Cowboy, The Walt Disney Company, orig. published 1976.

The large 'mother-drawing' of H 2,5 x W 2 meters (H 8.2 x W 6.5 feet) is a combination
of patterns, perspectives and scenes that are my interpretation of the swimmingpool's area.

It will be screenprinted as a repetative pattern on glass panels of equal dimensions at
the building's entrance façade.

I'm not really a naturalist myself. My main concern are the visual aspects, small story lines
and jokes. It's not about the science, but about scenes... Detail at 100%, Linewidth 1 mm.

Like these testprints, the linedrawings will be printed both negative in a matted opaque colour...

... and positive in white on the outside.

Re-interpretations of the main drawing will decorate the interior as tiled tableaus.

Ceramics specialist Norman Trapman and his wife Florentien on the job...

Progress september 2008

Opaque white ink outside...

... frosted ink inside...

... really adds to the intended underwater feeling!

Green neon in stainless steel case just finished! Wonder what it looks like at night...