Lots of things are happening in the heart of The Hague, on the banks of the Hofvijver, the seat of our government. The Binnenhof is largely undergoing reconstruction: the Lower House and the States General are being rebuilt, the Opperhof is open, machines are on the move, and building materials are being brought in and taken out. The offices and group rooms are deserted. All members of parliament are now functioning elsewhere. But not the construction masters, project managers, executors and their staff working on the Senate and Council of State buildings. They work in the Hofvijver from a pontoon island, a construction by Van Schie.

Werken in de Hofvijver2

The territory of the Binnenhof was purchased as early as 1229 by Count Floris IV, Count of Holland. Many years later, the purchased territory was expanded when son William II came to power. He built the wall around the “keep” and also had the prison gate built. The purpose of the renovation now underway is to future-proof the Upper and Lower Houses. In addition, it is also to preserve 800 years of cultural heritage. On Binnenhofplein, all the space is taken up by the construction work and the supply and removal of materials, leaving no workplaces left for the aforementioned construction workers. They therefore work from a floating chain park in the Hofvijver. The location of this pontoon was carefully chosen to minimize disruption of the view of the characteristic Binnenhof facade. The water level in the Hofvijver also contributes to this, as it is considerably lower than the street level, making the chains less conspicuous. The architects have made every effort to give the chain park an attractive appearance. For example, there will be a mirror wall around the entire pontoon and a dune landscape will be created on the roof; after all, The Hague is a “city by the sea. Moreover, this mini-piece of nature contributes to the biodiversity of the city center. Visitors can view this green and yellow roof from a specially built observation tower. The pontoon island on which the chain park stands was built by Van Schie. The company from Mijdrecht has extra heavy. The architects have gone to great lengths to give the chain park an attractive appearance.For example, a mirror wall will surround the entire pontoon and a dune landscape will be created on the roof; after all, The Hague is a “city by the sea.Moreover, this mini-piece of nature contributes to the biodiversity of the city center.Visitors can view this green and yellow roof from a specially built observation tower.The pontoon island on which the chain park stands was built by Van Schie.The company from Mijdrecht used extra heavy pontoons for this, partly because of the piece of urban nature on top of the roof.The floating platform measures 35 x 28 meters and is accessible via an adapted staircase and a floating walkway.In addition to this chain park, Van Schie delivered another work pontoon, certified for working with aerial work platforms.This pontoon was used to inspect the facade of the Senate building.

King Willem II

Even during the renovation, the Binnenhof will remain an attraction for visitors to The Hague. Next to the entrance on the Buitenhof will be a thirty-meter high watchtower, from which visitors can view the construction site. The herring stand, which stood there for over thirty years, had to make way. The equestrian statue of King William II, pedestal and all, was also lifted from its pedestal to make way for the new ‘eye-catcher’. The statue is now safely stored in a shed until the entire renovation is completed. It was big news nationwide when it was revealed that a historic time capsule was hidden underneath the statue’s pedestal. The contents were not very surprising: certificates, photographs and books, plus an accompanying letter signed by the cabinet at the time. It had been bricked in a hundred years ago, considerably later than the year the statue was placed. William II ruled in the Netherlands from 1840 until his death in 1849. He fought in the Battle of Waterloo against Napoleon Bonaparte.

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