De Boer on hand as memorial honours July 7 victims

De Boer has provided structures and expertise to one of the most moving events of recent years – the unveiling of a permanent memorial in London’s Hyde Park to the victims of the July 7 atrocities.

The company’s facilities were used by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, together with politicians, high-profile dignitaries and other guests who assembled on the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the capital’s transport network.

The commemorative event, which was held amid tight security, marked the creation of 52 separate stainless-steel columns – one for each person who died – and a nearby plinth recalling the names of the dead.

The columns, each standing 3.5 metres tall, have been individually cast to include a simple inscription recalling the date, location and time of the bombings. They are arranged in four clusters – of six, seven, 13 and 26 – to reflect the numbers of victims at the four locations targeted by the bombers.

De Boer was contracted to tackle the assignment by long-standing client Live Nation, which has already sourced the company’s structures for a wide range of events staged in Hyde Park this summer including the Wireless 2009 and Hard Rock Calling festivals and reunion concerts by chart-toppers Blur.

Live Nation Project/Festival Manager Hannah Farnham said: “The work we’ve carried out with De Boer this year has built on a strong relationship established over a number of years. Our teams have consistently worked together well in Hyde Park and this year has offered a further opportunity to combine our logistical expertise.”

De Boer supplied the July 7 commemorative event with a series of structures including an A-frame measuring 20 metres by 40 metres. The company also provided linings and carpets for the structure, which was used as a hospitality facility.

The contract extended to the supply of four Chalet structures – each measuring six metres by six metres – for uses such as guest entrance, cloakroom and performance area for a brass band. Carpeting was supplied for locations that included a path for the royal party and viewing area for other guests.

De Boer Project Manager Sarah Chamberlain said: “Having originally provided structures for emergency services dealing with the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks in July 2005, De Boer was extremely moved to be able to play its part as the victims of the bombings were officially honoured.”

She added: “The columns created in Hyde Park offer a poignant reminder of the innocent victims of the July 7 attacks.”

The design of the memorial involved the input of a special ‘commissioning body’ whose members included representatives of the Royal Parks and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, plus delegates from six of the bereaved families. The work was created by two architects – Briton Andrew Groarke and Australian Kevin Carmody – with artist Antony Gormley acting as adviser.

08 July 2009

About De Boer:

De Boer is one of the leading international suppliers of temporary accommodation for large events and festivals, storage purposes, airport baggage handling and supermarkets. De Boer was established in 1924 and is headquartered in Alkmaar, The Netherlands. The company now has offices in The Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Austria, France, Spain, Sweden and Dubai. De Boer is also represented in Qatar, Russia, China and the USA.

It employs more than 350 people internationally and during high season another 150 temporary workers are deployed. NPM Capital has been major shareholder since August 2005. www.deboer.com

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