By Martin Banks

A nineteenth-century former Dutch sea fort has been nominated for a top environmental prize.

Pampus, located about 8 km from Amsterdam, is described as an island of “self energy”.

It has been nominated as one of three finalists for the VriendenLoterij Museum Prize, which this year celebrates the greenest museum in the Netherlands.

The Museum Prize is a prestigious national award in the Dutch museum world. An expert jury selects the three finalists, after which the public chooses the winner. The winning museum receives €100,000 to realise its museum dream. This year’s theme is “the green museum”.

Public voting runs from 5 to 27 November, and the winner will be announced in the beginning of December.

Pampus is part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Dutch Water Defence Lines.

Being able to sustain life on this isolated island was essential to its original purpose. Today, that same challenge has taken on a new meaning: Pampus operates without fossil fuels, generates its own renewable energy and turns water from the surrounding IJmeer river into drinking water.

“This combination of heritage and practical solutions for the future makes Pampus a rather special place,” said its spokesperson  Anouschka Zanolla.

“Our selection is a wonderful recognition of everything our team has been working towards.”

The island generates its own renewable energy, turns water from the surrounding lake into drinking water, and uses home-grown vegetables and herbs in its kitchen.

Nature is given room to thrive, too. What makes Pampus particularly interesting is how everything connects. Making thoughtful use of natural resources is part of everyday island life.

“The next step is to help visitors experience more of this ingenuity for themselves,” said  Anouschka.

At Pampus,she said, the “adventure” begins as you approach it on a boat.

Located in the middle of the IJmeer, the 130-year-old island fort brings past and future together. Its garrison once had to survive for long periods without help from the mainland. Today, Pampus is embracing self-sufficiency again, working with nature.

Small island. Big dreams.

Winning the €100,000 VriendenLoterij Museum Prize would, says Anouschka, allow Pampus to create interactive installations at different locations around the island, exploring energy, water, food and materials.

Anouschka asked, “How can you harness the wind’s energy? Which tiny creatures help a vegetable garden thrive? And how can you preserve summer’s harvest to enjoy in winter?”

She explained what it would mean to win the prize, saying, “Through hands-on activities, tasting and experimenting, visitors would discover how inventive and enjoyable a more self-sufficient way of living can be.

“The island’s history provides the starting point, showing how ideas from the past can inspire practical solutions for the future.”

Seeing home differently

Pampus, she added, hopes visitors will leave with more than a happy memory of an “unusual island.”

“The ambition is to spark fresh curiosity about the water from their taps, the electricity in their sockets and the food on their plates. Perhaps they will even think: “I could try that at home.”

“The message is an optimistic one: a more sustainable future offers opportunities for creativity, discovery and enjoyment.”

“If so much is possible on one small island, imagine what could happen beyond its shores,” she told this website.

More info:

https://www.pampus.nl/museumprijs

Photo info:

Photo 1 – Pampus island
An aerial view of Pampus in the IJmeer near Amsterdam, showing its historic fort, wind turbines and solar panels.
Photo credit: Ruben Philipse