Mosel beyond the Picturesque
From Romantic View to Layered, Resilient Landscape
G. van Batenburg (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
I. Bobbink – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
M.G. Vink – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
The landscape of the Mosel Valley is known for its romantic image; The region attracts thousands of visitors annually and is renowned for its wines, a tradition that has been there since Roman times. The meandering Mosel River and medieval villages add to the picturesque image and contribute to this notion of romanticism. But this heritage landscape faces increasing threats in the form of abandonment of vineyards due to the challenges of steep slopes and high costs of cultivation, resulting in the gradual loss of the cultural landscape.
At the same time, the Mosel River has become both a literal and figurative line in the valley, having lost much of its fluctuating character after its canalization. It has lost its ecological and spatial connection to the surrounding landscape. The decline of both the region’s heritage and ecology are largely concealed by the romantic image of the Mosel Valley. This thesis questions the future of the Mosel landscape and examines the elements that contribute to the romanticization of it by means of a terroir analysis and literature review. A vision is developed in which nature becomes the new romantic subject. The vision is tested through a design intervention at Zeller Hamm,that provides different approaches of vineyard re-purposing are developed. Following this, a trail and experiential design are developed that focus on experiencing the new Romanticism.