Haringvlietdam
Dutch Government
South Holland, Netherlands
1957-1971
photo courtesy Harma Horlings

Following the disastrous flood of 1953 in the Netherlands, the government constructed an elaborate defense system called the Deltawerken (Delta Works) to prevent future flooding from the North Sea. The Delta Works were the world's largest flood protection project. The Haringvlietdam was the sixth construction of the Delta Works and measures 5 kilometers long and 56 meters wide.

The series of dikes highlighted here are entirely covered in asphalt, creating three-dimensional linear public landscapes. In addition to providing critical flood prevention infrastructure, these dams are also the site of transportation and informal recreation.