On the 4th of October 1992 disaster struck when an EL-AL Boeing 747 crash landed into an appartment block in Amsterdam's "the Bijlmer” suburb, on the south-eastern side of the city). Disscussions were ongoing until 1997 on what would be the appropriate way to remember the victims of this disaster.

In 1997 the "Bijlmer monument", a design by architect Herman Hertzberger, was constructed. This monument consists of retaining walls and water features outlining the destroyed appartment building, along with other urban design features as to create a public space where one could reflect on the tragedy that happened at this location.

I was the Site Engineer on the project and on this project I found it particularly interesting and challenging to work on something with such a high profile and so much stakeholder involvement. 

The Bijlmermonument was build in two stages.

At first in 1984 a small monument was created

around “the-tree-that-saw-it-all”, as it was nicknamed.

Later on the actual monument was build, which was the main works

in which I was involved and this included elements like

footpaths and cycleways, canals, concrete benches, a water feature etc.