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Bergen op Zoom is blessed with over 850 listed historic buildings, of which about 310 are national monuments. Interesting modern structures however are hard to find. An example is the new fire station on Van Konijnenburgweg. The building, designed by Schaap en Sturm Architecten, refers to a fortified wall (for centuries there were defense works on this spot) as well as to the proximity of the Oosterschelde (Eastern Scheldt).
The eastern side.
All the mediaeval walls around the town have disappeared. Only one gate of that period still exists today. The wall above has nothing to do with BoZ but gives an idea of what the town may have looked like at its limits. The oldest walls were however located far from here.
The fire station is realized between the old harbor to the east and the entrance of its canal to the west. That's why the roofs are designed like waves, including the colours. The real waterfront is only a few hundreds of meters away. In a couple of years the building will act as a hinge between the revived historic harbour district and the new marina. Already many activities take place in the neighbourhood.
The fire station (left corner below) and its new surroundings in ScheldeVeste.
The road, leading to Theodorushaven (opened in 1964), was named after Emile van Konijnenburg (1869 - 1956). He was an important hydraulic engineer and as such involved in many international projects. Early in his career he helped to improve the river Maas, in The Netherlands streaming between Maastricht and Rotterdam/the North Sea. Later he did the same for the Suez Canal and the Danube, in Romania. He designed ports for Jaffa, Haifa, Beirut and Tripoli.
As a writer he published a trilogy about the history of Dutch shipbuilding, "De Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw vanaf zijn oorsprong" and about the separation of the rivers Maas and Waal, "Scheiding van Maas en Waal; beschrijving van den vroegeren waterstaatkundigen toestand in Noordbrabant, alsmede van de werken uitgevoerd voor de verlegging van den Maasmond".
As if this was not enough, he also made a name for himself as a painter, specialized in picturing landscapes and animals. He should not be mistaken however for the artist Willem Adriaan van Konijnenburg (1868 - 1943).
The town council of Bergen op Zoom also honoured him because the Schelde-Rijnkanaal between Antwerp and Rotterdam, one of the busiest canals in Europe, was built according to his plans. This canal is only 2 km away from the fire station.
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