Whoever cycles through the tunnel to the other side of Central Station, imagines themselves in another world. The sidewalk, walls and ceiling depict a seascape which designer Irma Boom inspired on a tile tableau of the Rotterdam pottery painter Cornelis Bouwmeester from the 18th century. On the city side, the images are true to nature, but once you reach the IJ side, the seascape becomes more abstract and sketch-like.
The seascape depicts the Dutch Hering fleet. The artwork comprises 70.000 hand painted tiles. Each and every one of them are made by pottery factory Koninklijke Tichelaar in Makkum. The tableau, which is originally from Rotterdam, has gotten a special twist: Irma Boom changed the Rotterdam city coat of arms with the three Amterdam crosses.
Irma Boom is known as a graphic designer through her book designs and the corporate identity for the Rijksmuseum. Her work has been included in museum collections of, among others, the MoMA in New York and Centre Pompidou in Paris.
