On the site of a vanished drawbridge stands the Carillon since 1996: a poetic artwork by architect Gunnar Daan, featuring a poem by Harmen Wind about the four elements.
Designed by architect Gunnar Daan to mark a historic spot in the town centre.
The supporting beams carry a poem about earth, fire, water and air — in both Dutch and Frisian.
The Carillon stands where a drawbridge once spanned the Drachtster Compagnonsvaart.
With a sailcloth canopy, the square is used as a music stage during the summer.
From Thalenpark to the town centre
The Carillon as we know it today did not originally stand in its current spot. Until 1989, the artwork stood in Thalenpark, before it was moved to its current location: the site of a former drawbridge over the Drachtster Compagnonsvaart. That canal and bridge were, for centuries, central to the infrastructure and trade in the centre of Drachten.
In 1996 the Carillon took on its current, definitive form, designed by architect Gunnar Daan. Since then it has grown into one of the best-known meeting spots and photo locations in the centre of Drachten.
Concrete, steel and bronze
The Carillon is built from concrete, steel and bronze, combining architecture with visual art and poetry. Architect Gunnar Daan was responsible for the overall design, while Frisian writer and poet Harmen Wind provided the texts inscribed on the structure's supporting beams.
Dutch outside, Frisian inside
The beams of the Carillon carry a poem by Harmen Wind about the four classical elements — earth, fire, water and air. Notably, the outside of the artwork carries the Dutch text, while the inside features the Frisian translation. In this way, the poem literally refers to the region's two languages, and figuratively to the elements that have shaped life in and around Drachten for centuries: the peat (earth), the canal (water), the wind (air) and the industry of old (fire).
A summer meeting place since 2010
In 2010 the local Oranjecomité (King's Day committee) took the initiative to add a sailcloth canopy to the Carillon. From April to September, this transforms the square into a sheltered outdoor venue that serves as a stage for music and other cultural activities — so the Carillon remains not only an artwork to look at, but also a lively spot right in the heart of the town centre.
At the end of the Drachtster Compagnonsvaart
53°6'24" N, 6°5'54" E — centrally located in the centre of Drachten, at the site of the former drawbridge over the Drachtster Compagnonsvaart.
The Carillon through the seasons
View of the artwork at its current location in the town centre.
Detail of the 1996 artwork.
The site of the former drawbridge.
The sailcloth canopy that turns the square into a stage in summer.
Sources: Wikipedia, Friesland.nl, Carillons in de Lage Landen and Keunstwurk. Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA).
