In the middle of the Coolsingel in Rotterdam, a large group of sculptures, which for years hung on the facade of the Bijenkorf, are being replaced. If there is enough money for the restoration, it will be done this year.
“A very interesting work of art”, says architect Luuk de Boer of the historical society Roterodamum at the regional channel Rijnmond. Roterodamum has been making efforts for the return of the large facing brick for fifteen years. “It’s just good that something that was here before the war is coming back.”
It concerns a group of sculptures 4.5 meters long, 2.5 meters high and one meter wide. The artwork was designed by sculptor Hendrik van den Eijnde from Haarlem and was attached to the facade of the then brand-new Rotterdam branch of the Bijenkorf on Coolsingel in 1930. At the time, it was the largest department store in Europe and one of the first buildings in the Netherlands with escalators.
interwar period
The confirmation of the ‘traditional’ facing brick was remarkable, because the department store itself was built according to a sleek, modern design with a lot of glass by architect Willem Dudok.
“Van den Eijnde is a somewhat old-fashioned sculptor. On one side of the sculpture group we see symbols from that time: a steamship, trucks, cranes, in short, the progress of that time, we are in the interwar period,” says De Boer. “On the other side of the plaque, people are depicted: people who work in the port, people who work in a shop.”
The department store was heavily damaged during the bombing of Rotterdam on 14 May 1940. The building could be partly rebuilt and was reopened on January 22, 1941 amid great interest. The facing brick is clearly visible on a photo of that day:
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