The return of the sculpture on Dudok’s Bijenkorf to the Coolsingel
For more than twenty years, Rotterdam art lovers have been trying to bring the sculpture by Hendrik van den Eijnde, the only remnant of the old Bijenkorf department store by architect W.M Dudok, back to the place where it belongs: the Coolsingel. And in september 2024, it finally happened!
Woerden
As early as 2002, Aad Koster, board member of the Roterodamum Historical Society, raised the alarm: the Bijenkorf sculpture had been wasting away for decades on a business park in Woerden. There, at the Bijenkorf’s distribution center, the artwork was placed in 1973.
Plaque
The sculpture is often referred to as the “gevelsteen” (plaque) but that’s not entirely correct because the artwork was not embedded in the facade, but balanced on a concrete beam that protruded from the corner of the building.
The official name of the stone is De Werkende Mens (The Working Man). On one side, van den Eijnde made a procession of craftsmen, led by a musician with a guitar-like instrument. On the other side, modern means of transport can be seen: airplanes, boats, trains. And on the head, in bold Art Deco letters, is the name of the store: De Bijenkorf.
The ravages of time
The robust artwork was in good condition for its age. Some moss was growing here and there and there was a single sooty smear that may be traced back to the fire after the bombing on May 14, 1940. But I like it when you can read the ravages of time on an object.
Back to Rotterdam
Wouldn’t that sculpture by van den Eijnde look much better on the Coolsingel? Preferably in the original location, as a reminder of Dudok’s regretted monument? Some Rotterdammers became very enthusiastic about that idea. Others mainly saw bumps in the road: cables and pipes, financing, weak soil.
Artistic value
And one connoisseur claimed that the sculpture does not represent great artistic value and is not the artist’s best work. Well, it remains subjective and it’s not quite my field of expertise, but I think it’s a cool object with an overwhelming 1930s look.
World Heritage
But of course much more important is the emotional value of the work. This sculpture is the only physical remnant of a legendary building. The brutal demolition in 1960 was a historic mistake because if the Bijenkorf had still been there, it would have been Rotterdam’s second contribution to the Unesco World Heritage List, next to the Van Nelle factory. I dare to make that claim. For that reason alone, the sculpture deserves a place on the Coolsingel.
Artists
For a long time it was mainly artists who kept the memory of Dudok’s Bijenkorf alive. Colleague photographer Jan Sluijter, for example, who built an extensive collection of photos of the building, or film-maker Peter Veenendaal who made the beautiful documentary City of Light. And don’t forget yours truly: the artist impressions I made clearly show the position of the sculpture at the time.
Interview
On May 20, 2015 I was interviewed about the artwork by the magazine 010NU of Open Rotterdam TV. I showed the place, next to the pavilions with the McDonalds and the tourist information, where the old Bijenkorf once stood.
Politician Bart-Joost van Rij of the Leefbaar Rotterdam party, also in the broadcast, was not immediately convinced. “We’re not going to dump that thing blindly on the Coolsingel.” He argued in favor of finding a place in the future Forum building. But, as we know, that never came into being. At least not as the iconic cube that was envisioned at the time. And next to the cash register at the Primark, that’s not really the ideal place for such a sculpture.
Support
Slowly the plan for the repatriation of the artwork gained more and more support. Local media, like RTV Rijnmond and Algemeen Dagblad, picked up the story. Co Engberts, of the Rotterdam PvdA faction, asked questions in the city council. And the Bijenkorf itself, owner of the stone, also gave its blessing.
Activists
On February 8, 2018, I was interviewed by local TV station RTV Rijnmond, together with fellow supporters Jan Sluijter and Co Engberts. The place of performance was, of course, the location of the sculpture at the time in Woerden . We were introduced as activists; well, of course we were.
Unanimous
On February 22, 2018, the Rotterdam city council voted on a motion about the Bijenkorf sculpture, submitted by the PvdA faction, with the support of Leefbaar Rotterdam, D’66 and the SP. The motion instructs the municipality to cooperate fully with the relocation of the monumental work to the Coolsingel. And it was passed unanimously.
Refurbishment
Meanwhile, on the Coolsingel, hard work was being done on the refurbishment of Rotterdam’s main boulevard, to a design by Adriaan Geuze and his bureau West 8. His main intervention was to reduce the number of lanes for cars from four to two, which were positioned east of the tram tracks. This created space on the west side for a nice wide cycle path and an esplanade for pedestrians. And for works of art such as Van den Eijnde’s sculpture, exactly where it has been until 1960.
It became clear, however, that this space was not unlimited when a team from the municipality, led by urban planner Monique Marijnissen, set out to determine the final location. The esplanade is fool of trees, lampposts, bicycle racks and planters. Underground are the aforementioned cables and pipes and let’s not forget the Beurs metro station. In addition, a route must be kept clear for emergency services at all times.
New location
Still, that search led to a beautiful spot. Not quite exactly at the old location but about 35 meters to the north. Seen from the moon, that distance is not noticeable. And most important: the stone can be placed in the same orientation as it used to be: at an angle to the current Coolsingel. A silent witness to the fact that the city map has changed radically: before the war, the Coolsingel bent to the right here to connect with Schiedamsvest.
Pedestal
Restoration specialists Meesters-In in Ameide made a plan for the restoration and relocation. Designer Jan Konings devised a pedestal on which the stone comes into its own perfectly. And I made an image that was presented to the world on January 21, 2022 through the broadcast of TV Rijnmond below. In this item, Luuk de Boer of Roterodamum tells about the crowdfunding campaign that was completed with a positive result a few months later.
Restoration
The stone itself had by now been transferred from Woerden to a temporary location: the restoration workshop of Meesters-In. There, the artwork was prepared for relocation by a team of experts with mortars and pigments.
The return
In early September 2024, the plinth, the lower beam, the stone, the capstones and the stainless steel finish were placed. That was quite a complicated job. It is not a matter of just stacking loose objects; you do not want the artwork to slowly but surely slide off its plinth, for example due to the vibrations of the tram. All parts must therefore not only be perfectly level, but also be properly secured to each other for safety. Anyway, we could leave that to the professionals of Meesters In.
Street scene
The official inauguration took place on Open Monument Day, 14 September, one of Ahmed Aboutaleb’s last official acts as mayor. After that, the artwork has naturally become part of the street scene. Sometimes someone stands there looking at it in admiration, often the plinth is also used as a seating element by people waiting for the tram. And that is perfectly fine.
I have put the photos taken during the work and the unveiling one after the other in this video:
Furthermore, I have the opinion that Dudok’s Bijenkorf should be rebuilt in its entirety. But that’s the next chapter.
For more sculptures in Rotterdam’s public space, take a look at the Rotterdam Public Sculpture top 10.
