The stork has landed again
On Friday 18 June, the stork statue returned to the roof of the World Forum The Hague. Restored and covered in gold, the 10-metre-high stork landed at a new location on top of the event location. A symbolic new beginning, the return of (international) conferences to the World Forum and a boost for the economy of The Hague.
The statue by artist Aart van den Ijssel used to be a showpiece on the roof of the then 'Nederlands Congresgebouw', but had to be temporarily removed due to the renovation of the World Forum. However, both the World Forum, Braaksma & Roos Architectenbureau and the Municipality of The Hague wanted the artwork to return. The stork has therefore been carefully restored like the original and re-covered with gold leaf. It fits in with the building, the other statues in the area and the moment is symbolically very valuable. "World Forum plays an important role in the economy of The Hague, for us the return of the Hague stork on our roof symbolises the start of economic recovery: the Hague stork is back, everything will be fine!", according to Michiel Middendorf, General Manager World Forum The Hague. Alderman Saskia Bruines, alderman for Economy, International, Services, was present at the unveiling of the stork and gave the official starting signal for the relocation. "The world is opening up more and more and that is good for The Hague. We look forward to the recovery of the conference market and to organizations that come here for multi-day meetings. This contributes to the vibrancy of the city, the profile of the city and employment for many residents of The Hague. This requires a major conference location and we find that here at the World Forum. By reinstating the Ooievaar, we are looking to the future."
Braaksma & Roos Architectural Office has, as a renowned architectural firm in The Hague, supervised the entire process of restoration and placement. A large-scale project with an impressive end result. In close collaboration with artist Auke de Vries, a soft landing was ensured; “A stork always lands in beautiful places!”.
