No country is as malleable as the Netherlands. Here, the people don’t just build polders and cities — they build dreams. For centuries, the Dutch have shaped their landscape to match their needs and ambitions. Every era leaves its mark on the environment.

In the twentieth century, the Dutch landscape was radically reshaped and efficiently organized for modern life. By the end of the century, the excavators returned — this time to create nature. Some places changed their appearance three times within a single generation.

What does this constant reshaping say about the Dutch? And how sustainable are the new visions of the future that they continue to project onto their landscape today?