foreword by Lucien den Arend for a study about the completion of
Grotekerk Tower of Dordrecht - which has never been finished up to
this day
"as far back as I can remember the Grotekerk with
its imposing tower has always been part of my experience - as I was
born in the old city center, and lived there until the age of ten.
Even during my next thirteen years in the United States of America
the tower remained within my perception as it was portrayed on
prints, cookie jars and other daily household objects, in my home as
well as the various immigrant friends from Dordrecht. During my
vacations in Dordrecht I sketched it from different viewpoints.
There was absolutely no reason to question why it looked as it did.
It was just there.
For nearly forty years I have lived on the opposite
riverbank, in the town of Zwijndrecht, with a twenty four hour a day
view of the tower. It is in fact our personal clock; and its bells
ringing the time as well as melodies and concerts in the summer.
Aside from this, during my interaction with this building, I learned
that the tower had never been completely finished according to the
original plans; and that the baroque top from 1626 was realized
almost 200 years after the break in the building proceedings.
Progressively I felt the need for a completion of the project. This
spring I decided to request the Committee for Art and Architecture
to enable me to make a proposal based on my ideas which had
crystallized to a certain extent."
