The N34 finds its origin in an old traderoad to the north of Holland: via Coevorden to Zuid Laren.
In old times starting villages or remarkable spots became resting spot for travellers and horses to find refreshments. Often these baiting places ended up with beautiful names like: the green pheasant, the black ox, the white elephant, the red dear, the goldon lion....
By now there is provincial road the N34 with care places, carpoolplaces and transpheria. Recently the N34 got some prestiges artworks on these spots and we were asked to mark and link these works by reknown dutch artists.
We designed elements that all have the same base, but turn into milestones, informationpoles and seats where needed.
The areas also serve as baiting places for travellers to rest and refresh. The single seats become a bench or picnic table depending on how they are positioned.
The seat, table surfaces and other basetops are made of NABASCO: a new high impact nature based composite strengthened by natural fibres like flax and hemp. These materials more or less 'belong' to the Provincie Drenthe and fit to the 'green heart' this province likes to affiliate itself with.
The material has been tested for new 'noses' for Dutch trains.
Next to that there are still many remarkable things along the road: from Goose-market to Horse-market, from temporary living space of Vincent van Gogh to dolmen and mammoth excavations and sheepfold.
The animals on the informationpoles became now metaphores for facts, sights and the diversaty of the N34 surroundings: trips & markets (horse), prehistory & iceage (mammoth), forests & puddles (dear), heath & peat (sheep), culture & peace (pigeon), folklore & crafts (goose)
commission: Provincie Drenthe & CBK Drenthe / TAAK
production: studio|INEKEHANS
more info: N34 Artroute, Taak on N34, film on N34
publication: Design Indaba - Five design breakthroughs in 2014