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From Monday 2 July work is underway on a metamorphosis of the Prins Alexanderplein, the center of Prince Alexander. The Heart for Prince Alexander Foundation therefore searched for a way to mark the square as the heart of this district, and together with CBK Rotterdam organized a competition for a layout plan for the square. The main question was to think about the role of the water and the polder. Design studio 75B won this assignment with a radical and colorful proposal, which visually marks this part of the city as a polder, as the lowest point of the city, and as the heart of the neighborhood.
The design
In response to the competition, 75B developed a proposal in which the entire square is colored blue. In addition to applying the blue color to the square, pictures of the polder landscape are also applied to the building opposite Stadswinkel Prins Alexander. The artwork Space Time II van Joost Baljeu remains standing. The metamorphosis of the square is a temporary intervention that wants to show both the pride of the polder and the urgency of good water management.
The square turns blue and green for a period of two years. These colors are a reference to the peat polder from which the Alexander polder once arose and to the fact that the polder 6 meter is below NAP. It is a symbol for the pride in controlling the water supply in the polder, which means that residents keep their feet dry. And it refers to the abundance of water and greenery in Prince Alexander, making it a great place to live and relax. Pieter Vos from 75B: “Our design allows the visitor to be part of the artwork through a apply an abstract translation of the polder and the water (green and blue) on the floor. On the glass façade on the square there will be a current photo of the polder and the dike, a reference to the beautiful polder that is still very close, but invisible to the city dweller, traveler, shopkeeper and residents of the area. ”
CBK Rotterdam
The process is developed and supported, from competition to execution, by BKOR, the Visual Arts and Public Space program of CBK Rotterdam. CBK Rotterdam supports the vital role of artists and visual arts for and in Rotterdam, and sees that the artwork by 75B can act as a catalyst in thinking about the future area development of Prins Alexanderplein. The design is also very pronounced and colorful. Siebe Thissen, head of BKOR at CBK Rotterdam says about the design of the square: “The design of 75B - a blue floor and a gigantic photo of the Prins Alexanderpolder - is not only monumental in character, but is also powerful, legible and original in its simplicity. The blue floor marks the water in the polder (and the water problem) and the enormous billboard brings the 'forgotten' polder identity back in one fell swoop to the now completely petrified environment. ”
Activities for the public
On the 'new' square, a varied program is organized for the public that, just like the artwork, will focus on the theme 'The Polder and the Water' chosen by residents, users and professionals. The activities start in the summer of 2018 and can be found on a special one website.
Prince Alexander district: history and identity
Prince Alexander is not only the largest part of Rotterdam but is also the lowest-lying built-up polder of Western Europe, averaging around 6 to 7 meters below NAP. The polder consists of seven different post-war residential areas. Now the NS station is being renewed (2018-2019) it is a suitable moment to breathe new life into Prins Alexanderplein and to show the possible function of the square as the center of the city district. That went for it Heart for Prince Alexander Foundation in search of the identity of the district and along the way came across the (genesis) history of the area, in which the polder and water play an important role. With the special public program, the foundation has also set itself the goal of thinking along about the future development of the area. There is intensive cooperation with the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Alliance Station Area Rotterdam.
About BKOR
There is no city in the Netherlands with as much visual art in public space as Rotterdam. BKOR (Visual Arts & Public Space) manages and renews the extensive city collection in collaboration with involved Rotterdammers, companies and institutions. BKOR takes care of the management and maintenance of more than 500 works of art in the Rotterdam Sculpture Collection and advises the municipality, citizens and artists with regard to the realization, placement, relocation and remediation of public works of art. BKOR mediates between the demand from the city for art and urban embellishment and the supply of (Rotterdam) artists. BKOR is a knowledge and documentation center regarding all public works of art in Rotterdam. BKOR provides the program for this purpose Z-Files, Art and the City in association with Sculpture International Rotterdam (SIR) - both are programs from CBK Rotterdam. BKOR is working on a growing online database of the artworks in the public space of Rotterdam, which can be found at bkor.nl.
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