First Entrance Screen Zaailand

The first of the 3 new entrances for the Zaailand shoppingmall in Leeuwarden has been completed by the placement of a decorative glass screen. The colourful print on the glass creates a cheerful and stylish entrance.  Behind the screen led-light letters form the word Zaailand. The print was created from a photograph of blossoming trees. The photograph has been manipulated and translated into different sized dots in 5 colours with several shades for each colour. Close up the print can be seen as an abstract waterfall of coloured dots, but from a far the original image of the flowering trees can be seen by the keen observer. The glass screens are produced by Steinfort Glass Industries in the nearby city of Franeker. The design is made by ELV architects, who also did the overall transformation of this succesfull shoppingmall from the 80’s.

For the design of the glass screens is inspired by Jugendstill architecture from the beginning of the 20th century. The Majolika house in Vienna, designed by Otto Wagner, has a facade cladded by colored ceramic tiles that form a giant flowerpattern, as a supergraphic. The well-known Belgium architect Victor Horta used natural and floral patterns to decorate his buildings. One of the oldest department stores in the World, in Chicago, designed by Louis H.Sullivan, has elegant cast iron floral decorations around the entrances and shop fronts.

In Leeuwarden, We designed a contemporary version.

Niek van Vugt
Architect /CEO
Rijswijk