The Splash (2021)
This public art installation brings the look and feel of a swimming pool onto the streets of the Netherlands.
"The Splash" is intentionally functional. Local organization Arttenders was commissioned by the city of Rotterdam to research how factors — including residential and entrepreneurial needs, greening and welfare — could be combined within a public space. Local artist Cindy Bakker was selected to collaborate on the design after submitting her portfolio to a jury.
Inspired by paddling pools of the 1960s, The Splash provides "a space for encounters." It's the first piece in a series dubbed "The Shape of Rotterdam."
"The Shape of Rotterdam aims to develop attractive places in the public space where everyone feels welcome and heard," explains Siobhan Burger of Arttenders. "But [they] also address bigger challenges."
Pim Top for Arttenders x Cindy Bakker, The Splash (2021)
Each object in the "pool" was crafted from coated styrofoam, while the ground is adorned with painted tiles.
"The Splash is designed to be appropriated by the neighborhood," says Bakker. "Already during the installation, we saw that people chat with each other on the seating elements, children skateboard over the surfaces, and even the little ones climb and scramble over the diving board. It works — how cool is that!"
This article first appeared in the September 2021 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
