Estate and Museum iCOON
iCOON Hoek van Holland is situated in a beautiful spot in the Voorduin, ‘sandwiched’ between the Nieuwe Waterweg and the North Sea. A small-scale, high-quality estate. A place where it is pleasant to be, even if you have no interest in art. Inside, in the former ammunition bunker, is a museum for minimalist art & design. Outside, a dune landscape with a lovely terrace for pleasure-seekers, maritime, nature, and heritage enthusiasts.
With respect for the history of the area, artist Joram Raaijmakers designed an observation tower on the dune mound, based on the watchtowers from the Cold War: the UITzWAAI. From there, you have a beautiful view of the Nieuwe Waterweg, the dunes, and the sea.
Artist Krijn de Koning designed an above-ground tunnel system, based on the thickness of the walls of the adjacent bunker: the Duinkamer. You walk through the walls, as it were.
Background information about the bunker
The bunker housing the iCOON museum is a German bunker of the FL246 type. The official job description is “Munitionsauffüllraum für schwere Flakbatterie,” which indicates that it is a bunker for storing ammunition for anti-aircraft guns.
Construction of this bunker began in October 1942. Among other materials, 1,500 cubic meters of concrete were used in the construction. The bunker was the main ammunition storage facility for the former Marine-Flak-Batterie “Nordmole,” which was situated in the Voorduin. This anti-aircraft battery was equipped with four 10.5 cm caliber anti-aircraft guns. The guns were positioned in concrete bunkers fitted with steel domes.
Although these bunkers had their own small stock of ammunition stored within the bunkers themselves, the ammunition supply had to be replenished from the FL246 during intensive use of the anti-aircraft guns. This most likely took place by truck or horse-drawn cart. A loading and unloading area for trucks or carts had been created for the FL246. These vehicles could get close to the gun bunkers via a special road constructed through the Voorduin.
