Rijksbergplaats voor Kunstschatten, Art storage facility in Basse, Netherlands.
The Rijksbergplaats voor Kunstschatten is an art storage facility in Basse with circular concrete walls 4.5 meters thick, faced with sintered street clinkers. The conical roof rises to about nine meters at its highest point.
This storage building was constructed in 1942 under architect G.C. Bremer to protect Dutch artworks during World War II. After artworks were moved from coastal bunkers, approximately 3000 pieces found shelter within its walls.
The exterior displays a majolica panel showing a coat of arms with two heraldic lions, a visual reminder of its role as a protective space for valuable art. This decoration reflects how the building was designed not just as a storage vault but as a symbol of cultural preservation.
The facility is located at Paasloregel 77 in Basse and is not easily accessed due to its heavily fortified structure and double sets of steel vault doors. Inside, adjustable steel racks were designed specifically for storing paintings.
The construction used approximately 7000 cubic meters of concrete and 750000 kilograms of reinforcement steel to create a bomb-resistant structure. This extraordinary engineering effort made it one of the most secure art storage facilities in Europe at the time.
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