Overtreders W (Reinder Bakker and Hester van Dijk), Maartje Dros and Eric Klarenbeek were commissioned by the Zaanstad City Council to design a bicycle tunnel in Zaandam, one of the Zaanstad region’s largest cities. The bike tunnel is part of a bicycle path route used by commuters who ride bicycles or scooters from Zaanstad to Amsterdam through mostly uninteresting terrain.
The colorful Dutch art tunnel is tiled with designs showing what makes regional residents proud of their city. The crowdsourced art was submitted as pixel drawings. The pixels were made into tiles and installed on the tunnel walls, turning the otherwise mundane ride into an art-filled experience.
Photos: 1-4 Jorn van Eck | 5&6 Maartje Dros
Dutch Art Tunnels
Zaandam Bike Path Dotted With Pixelated Community Scenes
Trend Themes
1. Crowdsourced Art - Businesses can leverage crowdsourcing to generate unique, community-focused art installations that add to customer experiences.
2. Community-driven Design - Brands can prioritize designing experiences that highlight specific cultural characteristics and celebrate local pride, especially in public spaces like tunnels, bridges, or buildings.
3. Interactive Structures - Innovative companies can create interactive structures that transform mundane experiences into memorable, fun-filled activities that can motivate people to use them over other options.
Industry Implications
1. Tourism - Tourist towns can leverage businesses and local artists to create unique public spaces that bring in more visitors.
2. Architecture - Architects can rethink designing public spaces with art, technology, and interactive elements to create more engaging experiences for people.
3. Municipal Planning - City councils can incorporate cultural expression through public art to promote local pride and economic development in their community.