Scheuten starts work on the installation and assembly of the glass Sphinx at the Kop van Weerd

600 sheets of glass measuring 10 mm in thickness to be processed layer by layer to create 6-metre-high work of art

In 1993, as part of the celebrations surrounding Venlo´s 650th jubilee, the Jacques & Ellen Scheuten Foundation donated a glass work of art to the city for the Maasboulevard. Two decades on and the piece is to be located at the Kop van Weerd. Scheuten, specialists in the development and production of high-quality glass products, will be taking care of the engineering, delivery and assembly.

The Sphinx will be sited on a solid concrete base with natural stone cladding, with the entire structure measuring 6 metres in height and weighing in at 100,000 kilograms. The first sheet of glass is to be installed around the building industry holiday once the complete base is ready to accommodate the work of art. It is anticipated that the artwork will be unveiled during the course of the fourth quarter.

Scheuten Absoluut Glastechniek, specialists in the design and implementation of complex glass projects, will be implementing this project in close cooperation with Fons Schobbers, the Venlo-based artist who designed the Sphinx. Fons Schobbers: “This sculpture is the product of working with two monumental forms that have reached a state of equilibrium in a field of tension. And I´m always seeking the tensions that exist between materials. A glass sculpture is a good example of this."

Tom van der Heijden, Works Manager Scheuten Absoluut Glastechniek: “Scheuten is always looking for new applications for our products. This work of art is unique in Europe. After all, the glass is being used as the material for a load-bearing structure, and it will be stuck together layer by layer using a special technique.”