Description:
Military heritage is widespread throughout Europe but its potential for contemporary use is not always clear and can be difficult to determine. Such buildings are often left vacant for many years and in need of repurposing. Fort Kijkuit represents a fresh approach to dealing with this problem. The fort, located in the province of Noord-Holland was used as a military defence building until the Second World War, when new methods of warfare soon rendered it obsolete. Before the renovation project, the building had no obvious use and its condition worsened year after year. In 2013 Natuurmonumenten, the society for the protection of natural monuments in The Netherlands, took the initiative to protect Fort Kijkuit. 2015 saw the completion of the project which repurposed the site in a variety of ways: it is now home to a new office space for Natuurmonumenten, a tourist information centre, a lookout tower and several areas for passing cyclists and hikers to relax and enjoy the surrounding scenery. Fort Kijkuit is located in the middle of a nature reserve which has its own unique biodiversity, an element embraced by the conservation team, especially in the construction of the special lookout catering for the many visitors who come to enjoy the landscape. This is also reflected in the decision to leave the casemate unrestored and undisturbed, home to a large number of bats.