ABRI

At the storm surge barrier (better known as 'Neeltje Jans') in the Oosterschelde, there's an art piece representing the Cathedral of Reims, laid out in basalt stones at a scale of 1:2. The arrangement of these stones follows the pattern of the cathedral's blueprint, creating a sense of the building’s grand architecture on a smaller scale. Between the stones, the projected vault structure is marked out in white road paint, adding contrast to the dark basalt and drawing the eye toward the envisioned structure.

The installation is composed of the same kind of basalt cobblestones used to protect Zeeland from the sea—an interesting connection between art and the region's practical infrastructure.

Though the piece can be reached on foot, it's really meant to be experienced from the comfort of a car, as it's positioned in a way that invites a broader view of the landscape. What’s particularly intriguing is that this work is a counterpart to another installation by artist Marinus Boezem, created in 1987 in Almere, where he outlined the same cathedral floor plan using Italian poplar trees, essentially creating a "green cathedral."