The Sunken Bridge of Fort de Roovere

During the 17th century, a series of moats and fortresses were built over the West Brabant Water Line region of the Netherlands to provide protection from invasion by France and Spain. Fort de Roovere was surrounded by a shallow, muddy moat that was too deep to march across and too shallow for boats. Recently the fort was opened for tourist but instead of building an overbridged over the moat which would have definitely taken away the fort’s dramatic view, a sunken bridge was designed.

From afar, the bridge is invisible to the eye. The flow of the moat appears continuous, as the water level remains at the same level. As visitors approach the fort, the bridge appears as a break in the water.

The project was awarded with the prestigious BNA (Union of Dutch Architects) Building of the Year 2011, Southern Region.