It is impossible to miss: the statue of Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp on the steps of WTC Rotterdam. He's been away for a while, but luckily he's back!
The four-meter-high bronze statue of Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp stood on the steps of WTC Rotterdam for almost 40 years. Due to a major revitalization of the main entrance of WTC Rotterdam, which also included the installation of two escalators, the statue had to be removed for a while. Fortunately, it has returned and it is once again an integral part of the entrance to WTC Rotterdam.
The image of Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp has become a familiar sight for many Rotterdam residents. The statue shows Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp (1762-1834), who played a leading role in drawing up the New Constitution and therefore holds the 1814 Constitution in his right hand. Van Hogendorp was also an advocate of free trade, which makes his sculpture a good fit for the former Beurs.
While the statue weighing more than 2,500 kilos had to make way for renovations, it was carefully restored by bronze sculpture foundry Binder Art. These professionals have replaced more than a hundred nuts and bolts with which it was originally assembled with new ones. Oxidation spots and stains have been carefully removed from the exterior surface and the seams have been professionally polished.
However, the statue has been given a new location in front of WTC Rotterdam. In consultation with Visual Arts & Public Space (BKOR) and the Municipality of Rotterdam, the artwork was placed on a low plinth of Norwegian granite on the terrace in front of the stairs of WTC Rotterdam.