Text

Sleek and white: that’s how a new city hall was built on the Spui in the 1990s. The contrast with the previous “new” city hall from 1953 couldn’t be greater. That city hall on Burgemeester De Monchyplein was, in fact, still adorned with reliefs. At the recommendation of the architect, J.M. Luthmann, the city had invited The Hague-based artists Dirk Bus, Bram Roth, and Gerard van Remmen to create them. With their reliefs and other architectural sculptures, they enhanced the building’s representative function.

In 1996, the old city hall was demolished and replaced by a modern, classically inspired complex designed by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill. Before the demolition, the sculptures by the three artists were moved to safety. Some of them have found a new home in the courtyard garden of Bofill’s complex. On one side of the pond stand two sculptures by Roth. Further along on the grass lies a relief by Van Remmen, resembling an archaeological find.

The bridge over the pond on the side of Burgemeester Patijnlaan is flanked by two sculptures by Bus. These are his depictions of mermaids that were originally located on the gate of City Hall.

Finally, there are some reliefs around the waterfall. The two smallest ones right next to the waterfall are by Van Remmen. They are a scene of 'Jonas in the whale' and Neptune, the god of the sea. A little further on is Bus' relief of the city arms of The Hague flanked by two putti. It served purely as decoration on the façade of the Building and Housing Inspectorate. Like the other reliefs higher up on the Town Hall on Burgemeester De Monchyplein, this relief is also made of cast stone. The reliefs lower down on the façade were carved from granite.