History of
Scheveningen Pier
One of the eight districts of The Hague, as well as a subdistrict
of that city, Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long
sandy beach, an esplanade, a lighthouse, and of course a pier.
The present pier is the second one at Scheveningen. The first
pier, named "Queen Wilhelmina Pier", was a 416 metre long,
all-wooden structure built in 1900/01, and extended from the
terrace steps of the Kurhaus, a large hotel/spa resort catering
for predominantly German guests. The pier and Kurhaus became a
centre for nightlife, music and ballroom dancing throughout the
'roaring 20s'.
The "Queen Wilhelmina Pier" was destroyed in World War II by
fire on March 26 1943 and after the fire the German occupying
forces destroyed the remains of the Pier to prevent it being used
as bridgehead by invading forces.
In 1959 a new 382 metre long concrete pier was built
about a 100 metres north of where the original pier had stood, and
thus was no longer opposite the Kurhaus. The design was by the
Rotterdam architects Huig Maaskant, Dick C. Upon and D. Dij and
the pier was offically opened by Prince Bernhard in 1961.
In 1991 the pier was taken over by Van der Valk Hotels for the
symbolic price of 1 guilder and is now a modern entertainment
complex providing promenading and shopping over two levels, a
casino, an à la carte restaurant, various rooms for banquets
and meeting, and a 60 metre high tower with viewing platform.
***
|
