A new art object has appeared in Uithoorn. It concerns two concrete replicas of the famous Zig-Zag chair by designer/architect Gerrit Rietveld. They are placed on pedestals in the pond of the De Hoeksteen building. The art piece was offered to the municipality by the Galerie Fort a/d Drecht foundation in remembrance of the gallery of the same name that was forced to close its doors. The work of art is intended to be a tribute to and an attention-getter for Gerrit Rietveld and his work. De Hoeksteen is the only church designed by the humanist Rietveld. The Zig-Zag chairs have been produced by BTE company Vebo Beton & Staal based on original design plans. The chairs are made from high-performance concrete and are finished with a 'Rietveld-red' coating.
Two years ago, Vebo began a publicity campaign regarding this innovative concrete type under the slogan 'high-performance concrete fits Vebo like a glove'. Compared to traditional concrete, high-performance concrete has a much higher compressive strength, which allows for sleeker constructions. At the time, Vebo intended for the campaign to show the options high-performance concrete offers to the housing sector in particular by means of producing a replica of Rietveld's Zig-Zag chair. This chair's unique shape provided a challenge in terms of construction. How can you construct everything with a material thickness that is as slim as possible while still having a whole that is as strong as possible? By opting for this Rietveld masterpiece, Vebo could demonstrate the possibilities for day-to-day construction as well. Think of, for instance, sleeker staircases and balconies.
