Hovercrafts, a mini world tour through a climatron, walk on the moon. But also living, working and traveling in the future. Or rather: the year 2000. They were all parts of Futuron, a futuristic amusement park that was to be built northeast of Emmen in the 1970s. It had to be an (inter)national crowd puller. But precisely what the park focused on, it eventually turned out not to have a future: a future.
The blades of the windmills at Energiepark Pottendijk turn lazily, while the cars on the N391 carelessly race towards Emmen and Ter Apel. In the distance, the contours of Pottendijk noise sports center are visible, with its racing circuit and shooting sports hall. Sand hole De Boer is located on the other side of the road.
The region is best known for the Broken Circle/Spiral Hill landscape artwork. Now the only attraction in the area. But more than half a century ago, the ambitions for this area were sky-high when it comes to recreation. It was once the intended location for Futuron and a large recreational area with a sailing lake.
The idea came from a group of tradespeople, who presented the plan with much fanfare in 1969. It was certainly ambitious. Futuron would cover 40 hectares and be constructed in phases between 1970 and 1980. Total costs amounted to 40 million euros, but it would create 200 jobs. The entrepreneurs saw that Emmen was experiencing a considerable growth spurt, coupled with a strong migration from the Randstad and other parts of the Netherlands. It is logical that the need for more recreational facilities would grow more and more.
The inhabitants of Emmen turn to designer Robbert Das from Aerdenhout in North Holland, who gives free rein to his imagination and visionary ideas. Dassen put a spectacular plan on paper, with which the entrepreneurs approached the media and governments in early ’69. “By developing this plan in phases, there is still a great sense of reality,” they report in the brochure produced by Dassen. It would not stop with endless ‘planning and meeting’ as with comparable initiatives, they assure.
In addition to various attractions, northern industries and companies would also be given the opportunity to set up pavilions with permanent exhibitions. This allows them to show their own and latest developments to the public. Of course, this set-up is also a springboard to sponsoring the park by the same companies. Visitors would be confronted with ideas about living, working, communication and leisure ‘that border on science fiction’, according to the roaring brochure text. ‘A world first that will attract international attention.’