The Pompejus watchtower: a look from above on Western Brabant

Halsteren is a small town of about 11,000 inhabitants, in North-Brabant, in the south-east of the Netherlands.

Right here, on the ruins of an old fort, stands the Pompejus watchtower.

The project of the architects RO&AD is part of a more extensive redevelopment of the area and was financed through a crowdfunding campaign, supported by private individuals and companies in the area.

It is a structure of about 34 meters total, made of wood and steel starting from a three-dimensional model.

The façades were conceived starting from the mathematical principle of the Voronoi diagram, a principle of mathematical design, which allows the triangles of the steel structure to be used for windows and openings.

This concept allowed to divide the façade into elements that could be prefabricated, transported and then assembled in-situ.

The interior of the tower houses an information center and an outdoor theater for 225 people.

Stairs allow the many tourists who visit the structure to climb on Pompejus and, from the top, take a 12 miles (20 km) view in all directions, including the entire water line of Western Brabant.