De poort van Constant

Originally named Entrance to sports park Ookmeer the sculpture is located on the corner of Herman Bonpad and the Troelstralaan, Amsterdam-Osdorp. See Google map.

Correspondence, an article in Bouwkundig Weekblad, November 1962 and a note by Constant explaining his vision about the sculpture Ingang Sportpark Ookmeer aka de Poort van Constant.

In 1961 (Liga) Stichting Nieuw Beelden send the alderman of Publick Works of the municipality of Amsterdam a proposal for seven sculptures or buildings designed by artists, in some cases in collaboration with architects, for the public space. By the time announcement was printed in Bouwkundig Weekblad on November 30, 1962, Constant had already received the commission for a sculpture to mark the Entrance of Sports Park Ookmeer. The first ground plan of Ookmeer in Constant's archive dates from December 1958.

The other suggested projects were by: Mien Ruys (garden architect) & Theo Bennes (sculpture), Norbert Gawronski (architect), Hans Ittmann (artist) & Juul Neumann (artist), Hendrik Hartsuyker (architect) & André Volten (artist), Herman van der Heide (schulptor), Charles Karsten (architect), Jos Ongenae (painter), D. Sterrenberg & Herman van der Heide (schulptor).

Multiple ground plans and blueprints for the 16 meter high sculpture have not been digitalised yet due to their size.

NB: start and end date for this file are artificial. The first plan is dated 1959 so that's probably when Constant started thinking about the project and the sculpture was finished in 1963.

For the design of this construction Constant used geometry from Diorama [II], 1962.

In 2011 Rita Doets, a former employee of district nieuw-west, left money in her will to bring the sculpture out of it anonimous state. On 21 July 2011 (Constant's birthday) a plate with information about the sculpture and its designer was revealed. With that plate the sculpture was renamed De Poort van Constant.