The National Holocaust Names Memorial in Amsterdam is a poignant tribute to the Dutch victims of the Holocaust, completed in 2021. It features Mirror 8 polished stainless steel. Van Geenen, experts in stainless steel polishing, contributed to this significant project.
Client
AIP Partners B.V.
Disciplines
Polishing
Material
Stainless Steel
Finish
Mirror 8
In mid-2019, all permits were granted and construction of the monument could begin. The Names Monument includes two-meter-high brick walls on which the names of Dutch victims of the Holocaust can be read. The walls are in the shape of four Hebrew letters, meaning "in remembrance of. The monument was to be completed by four large stainless steel letters, which were to be placed atop the walls. These letters needed to be polished to a full high gloss, and at that point Van Geenen became involved in the project.
Learn more about the National Holocaust Names Monument in Amsterdam at holocaustnamesmonument.nl.
The stainless steel parts were realized by AIP Partners. Van Geenen had been in talks with AIP Partners for quite some time to take care of the polishing part. Eventually we got the green light and the polishing work could begin. In 2020, we started polishing 72 stainless steel plates of 12 by 2 meters each. These plates were polished to Mirror 8 quality, one of the highest levels of polishing. This polishing process was very intensive and required a high level of craftsmanship to achieve the desired flawless, high-gloss finish.
After polishing, the letters were transported in stages to Enschede, where Richter's job was to cut the plates to size by laser cutting. At Robo Metaal, the cut sheets were then joined and formed into the extremely large letters. Solid internal constructions were required to properly and safely assemble the stainless steel mirror plates.
After the letters were cut out, the work was not yet complete. Van Geenen performed much manual polishing afterwards to ensure that each letter was perfectly finished. This manual polishing was essential to remove small imperfections and give the letters a uniform and flawless appearance.
After repolishing, the letters were taken to Amsterdam, where they were finally placed on the stone walls. The result is amazing. Van Geenen is proud and honored to have contributed to this beautiful monument.
Client: AIP partners B.V.
Construction: ROBO Metaal
Laser Cutting: Richter
Polishing & Finishing: Van Geenen B.V. & partner firm MirrorInox
