The work Twiske West Panorama by Yves Bélorgey breathes new life into the old tradition of monumental, realistic murals in railway stations. Commissioned by the HSL, the French painter Yves Bélorgey created the immense, panoramic canvas (7 panels of 3m by 3m) for the tunnel wall of the Schiphol trainstation.

Bélorgey was inspired by ‘scenic railways’, popular attractions from the early twentieth century, comparable to today’s roller coasters, and examples of panorama painting in train stations. Bélorgey did not opt for stirring heroics, but for a commonplace subject: Twiske West, a social housing project along the A10 motorway in Amsterdam North, completed in 1993.

Bélorgey believes that the HSL-South line not only brings European capital cities closer together, but also benefits the areas on their periphery. The subject he chose, Twiske West, is one such place. The mural reveals Bélorgey’s fascination with the cylindrical forms and the natural aura of this residential complex, designed by architect Liesbeth van der Pol. The manner in which the blocks of buildings are positioned allows the dwellings to have a panoramic view of the surrounding rural area. The work, in seven sections, provides a scenic view of a modern Dutch landscape, in which residential projects such as Twiske West are becoming an increasingly dominant factor. Twiske West stands for the ‘real’ Netherlands, in the same way that it was once symbolised by the Zaanse Schans.

Twiske West Panorama can be seen at platform 5 of Schiphol’s trainstation.