The fact that the famous Hilversum bandstand does not appear in the renovation plans of the Kerkbrink and seems to be disappearing completely from the village raises many eyebrows. There is now a call for salvation. “Isn’t the alternative much better to keep the music dome and, if necessary, paint it green or have it covered with vegetation?” is the political question.
Last Thursday, councilor Arno Scheepers gave a presentation to the press in the Grote Kerk on Kerkbrink. There he showed what the design of the renovated Kerkbrink looked like. The choice fell on a lobe-shaped square, where there is room for greenery, terraces and meetings and there is no more room for the bus, the necessary bicycle traffic and therefore also the bandstand.
Will the bandstand return to Hilversum was one of the many questions. The VVD director’s answer was loud and clear: he has no intention of doing that. His idea is to sell the ‘vandal-proof construction’. Given the current high steel price, the municipality also receives a nice compensation for this, he added.
Surprise
This response has led to surprise among the opposition party Democrats Hilversum. They want to know from Scheepers why he is not looking for an alternative location in the media city. With a lick of paint or a little more greenery, party leader Edwin Göbbels could give the bandstand a different place.
He has some ideas for that himself. For example, he proposes to place the dome at the Hilversums Wasmeer viewpoint, the tent can serve as a viewpoint on the Anna’s Hoeve mountain or place it in the water feature as a free-standing object or connect it to the walking platform in Kerkelanden.
Courtesy
In addition, the Hilversum politician also does not think it is possible to sell the bandstand as pieces of steel. The dome on the Hilversum center square was a gift from the Rotary clubs Hilversum and Hilversum-West in 2008. Finding another location shows ‘courtesy’ to the generous donors.
The fact that the iron colossus of the Kerkbrink is disappearing can count on the approval of the large majority. Many find the dome ugly. In addition, there have been no performances for some time, so the square’s function as a musical haven has long since ceased. This is also a frequently heard argument in Hilversum politics.