Artwork incorporating paving

In 2019, landscape architect Ton van Beek was commissioned to redesign Molenstraat in Zundert. It had to have cultural significance, so Van Beek decided to dedicate the redesign to Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh was born in 1853 opposite the town hall, where the Van Gogh House now stands. So it is very fitting that, from the Van Gogh House, you can now look out onto his world-famous self-portrait, which has been immortalised in paving.

Implementation in twill bond

Choice of paving stone and colour scheme

GeoRetron stones were chosen for the self-portrait due to their intense colour and colour fastness. This paving stone features an extra-fine, closed top layer of 10 mm, consisting entirely of colour-fast natural material. The next step was to determine which colours, when combined, would create the intended image; after all, Van Gogh’s silhouette had to stand out clearly. In close consultation between the contractor, architect and MBI, the following colours were selected: GeoRetron Excellent Dussen Light Brown (299) and GeoRetron Prestige Beeckestijn Dark Brown (B89), Henkenshage Black (A21), Loevestein Dark Red (D63), Rosendael Dark Yellow (C89) and Twickel Red (D13).

Wallpaper rolls as a guide for the herringbone pattern

To ensure the different colours were laid correctly, the contractor, Krinkels B.V., used a special computer programme to translate the portrait into a technical design featuring stones laid in a herringbone pattern. From this, paper strips measuring 30 x 1.5 metres were printed, showing the laying pattern and colour code for the stones to be laid. This required precision work and the manual laying of the stones. In practice, the chosen working method, combined with the selected stones, proved to work very well: “It’s slightly slower than standard paving, but the pace wasn’t as slow as we’d feared,” said the contractor. With a team of three, Krinkels B.V. managed to lay 80 m² per day.

See the construction timelapse here.

Redevelopment of the central area

The paving of De Markt forms part of a total redevelopment of Zundert’s town centre, involving a total of approximately 17,000 m² of paving. In addition to the square featuring the portrait, the small square near the Van Gogh Church has been transformed into a green oasis. Cars have made way for grassy islands with seating edges. These kerbs were custom-made by MBI, featuring various inscriptions. Naturally, these inscriptions are also linked to the Van Gogh theme and the surrounding area.

Connection to the tree-growing sector

For their design, the architects drew inspiration from Zundert’s cultural and economic foundations. The trees in the 50 specially designed planters pay homage to the tree-growing sector. These planters are movable, ensuring there is sufficient space for the annual flower parade.

Choice of GeoRetron bricks

The design has been realised using GeoRetron bricks. We asked our project advisor about the reasoning behind this choice. “The project had to be realised within a specific budget, so the choice for this alternative to fired bricks was an easy one. The comparable authentic look comes from the top layer, which incorporates natural colouring materials. A nice bonus is that the dimensional stability of the bricks reduces the likelihood of grout contamination. Colour fastness is also particularly important for this project. Natural colouring materials have been added to GeoRetron. Unlike bricks with dyes – whose colour fades in sunlight – bricks with colouring materials retain their colour. The granules in the top layer of GeoRetron ensure that they retain 100% of their colour and are less susceptible to weathering.”