A Street Art Transformation: The 2013 De La Reyweg mural

In March 2013, something special happened in The Hague. Woningcorporatie Staedion, VanDeStraat street art platform, and the Haags Graffiti Platform teamed up to create a massive mural on the side of buildings that were about to be demolished. This mural, painted by local and international graffiti artists, transformed a neglected area into a colorful masterpiece.

The “Oerwoud” Theme

The theme of the mural was “Oerwoud” (Jungle), and the artists worked in the cold to bring their vision to life. Using ladders, scaffolding, and even the walls themselves, they painted the 350-square-meter mural in a variety of styles. It was a fun and stunning piece of art that stood out against the otherwise empty buildings.

Street Art in Public Spaces

The mural wasn’t just about brightening up an empty wall; it was a way to show that street art has a place in public spaces and can help fight the decay of abandoned buildings. Before the mural went up, the area was rundown and the buildings were scheduled for demolition. Some of us had even already left our marks there before. But the coherent mural really made the space feel alive again, even if just for a little while.

By bringing artists together in this way, the project proved that street art can contribute to making public spaces better. The mural was up for a short time before the buildings were torn down in April 2013