Zwijndrecht Walburg Project
The municipality of Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands commissioned Lucien den Arend to make a sculpture for the new district of Walburg. He was at liberty to choose a location. The only request to him was to design something which was functional and would blend with its surroundings. He chose for a location where he had been before Walburg was planned. It was the boundary between the towns of Zwijndrecht and Hendrik Ido Ambacht. High tension wires crossed this site. In misty weather one could hear the electric current. Once a year the sunset marked one end of the electric cables. On the longest day the dividing line, a man made brook, between the two towns pointed to the sunrise. This combination of details gave him the inspiration he needed.
The etymology of the word Walburg justified his intentions: wall being an elongated earthen mound, and burg a fortification. He named it the Walburg Project.
He worked on the designs from 1971 to 1972. In 1973 the proposal was accepted and executed.
Walburg Project 1971|1973 earth, asphalt, meandering dike, bronze, high-tension pylon and pollard willows - 136x50x19m - Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands