Studio Volop completes two follies along the N361

Studio Volop (partnership between Gerard de Hoop & Volken de Vlas) has been commissioned by House of Design and the Province of Groningen (NL) to design two works of art along the roundabouts of Wehe-den Hoorn and Mensingeweer as part of the project “N361 Tussen Wad en Stad”.

More info see website: STUDIO VOLOP

Artwork 1: Folly TIGGEL – Wehe den-Hoorn:
“With the refinement of baked bricks and the emergence of new masonry techniques, the red-baked Groningen brick played a prominent role in the emerging expressionist architecture of the Amsterdam School in Groningen, to which architects such as Egbert Reitsma and Siebe Jan Bouma contributed. The artwork TIGGEL pays tribute to this architectural movement and the evolution of red brick.
”Tiggel’ is derived from the Groningen word ‘Tiggeln’, which means brick making. Four volumes, in the proportion of standard brick, stack into each other and are gradually lifted, resulting in an interesting architectural composition.”

TIGGEL - monumental public artwork composed of four interlocking red brick volumes with clean geometric lines in Wehe-den Hoorn. Designed by Gerard de Hoop (Studio Volop).
TIGGEL - alternative view of the brick artwork showing staggered vertical volumes and deep rectangular recesses along the N361. Designed by Gerard de Hoop (Studio Volop).
TIGGEL - rear view of the monumental brick artwork with four stepped geometric volumes in Wehe-den Hoorn. Designed by Gerard de Hoop (Studio Volop).
TIGGEL - close-up of the red brickwork, sharp geometric corners and interlocking vertical volumes of the public artwork. Designed by Gerard de Hoop (Studio Volop).

Artwork 2: Folly STEENTIJD – Mensingeweer
“A work of art with multiple faces. Two important periods in Groningen’s history are shown in a single image: the Middle Ages and the Industrial Revolution.
From Lauwersoog the contours of a recognizable brick factory from the 19th century appear. From Winsum, the columns form an archetypal medieval church.
Driving past the columns made from old Groningen hand molds, the work of art tells the story of the very important red brick. Introduced by monks with the arrival of medieval monastery jokes, it was further developed in the following centuries into the well-known red brick and led to the arrival of dozens of brick factories in the 19th century.”

Steentijd artwork with tall brick walls and sloping tops against a blue sky. Design by Studio Volop, a collaboration between Gerard de Hoop and Volken de Vlas.
Brick Steentijd artwork in the landscape near Mensingeweer. Design by Studio Volop, a collaboration between Gerard de Hoop and Volken de Vlas.
Steentijd artwork with brick walls of varying heights in an open landscape. Design by Studio Volop, a collaboration between Gerard de Hoop and Volken de Vlas.
Brick Steentijd artwork near Mensingeweer, viewed from the road. Design by Studio Volop, a collaboration between Gerard de Hoop and Volken de Vlas.
20 June 2021

FRAMES 2.5 exhibited in Como, Italy

17 September 2024

Modular sofa MODULATE for IGNORE presented at Design Destination Eindhoven