The American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) Netherlands American Cemetery will soon unveil a new visitor center in Margraten, Netherlands, highlighting the 77-year-old site’s rich history and unique relationship with the local Dutch community. On Nov. 8, 2022, the facility will take on its finished shape with the installation of a massive concrete fascia through an unusual and complex construction process that will take several days.
Formed out of one piece continuous of concrete and steel, the fascia weighs 386 tons (772,000 pounds) and is approximately 30 meters (95 feet) long, four meters (12.5 feet) high, and 30 centimeters (12 inches) thick. The layered concrete fascia is composed of slightly varying colors to create organic and subtle movement, and was poured continuously on site day and night in a process that took more than 64 hours to complete.
The AMBC selected Kaan Architecten to design the building that is a seamless blending of meticulously-crafted modern architecture and the cemetery’s historic and serene landscape, creating a subtle tension with the natural environment. Exhibitions will find their place in this new visitor center and visits will start in the course of the year 2023.