Zandwacht | Observatorium

The Zandwacht consists of 92 slender, concrete elements which represent how dunes are created: sand is blown into the air by strong winds and settles again when the wind drops, thus forming a small hill. The Zandwacht is made up of three contours of the same, ever-growing dune. Together, the 92 elements form a three-dimensional drawing. If you walk through it, you can clearly see the three stages. The artwork represents in a visual form how the forces of nature help determine the shape of the Netherlands.

From the Zandwacht, you look towards the new container terminals in one direction, but closer are the sea, the beach, the dunes, the Hinderplaat and the South Holland islands. The windows present a different perspective of the surrounding area all the time. You can wander through the Zandwacht and be surprised by the ever-changing view. It’s as if you are walking in a dune. At the bottom of the Zandwacht there is a large bench and you can sit in the windows. The concrete is exactly the same colour as the sand of the Maasvlakte beach. A footpath provides easy access to the Zandwacht from the car park.

The Zandwacht was funded by Boskalis, Van Oord and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Van Oord and Boskalis built Maasvlakte 2 in the period 2008-2014, commissioned by the Port Authority. The Zandwacht is, as it were, the crowning glory.

The Zandwacht was made from special high-strength concrete.