Hof der dingen - Beach orientation pole

Every parents’ worst nightmare: losing sight of your child on a beautiful summer’s day at the beach. Just ask Dominiek Vervaecke. As a student, he spent his summers selling ice creams on the beach. 

“I was always astonished by the number of crying children who came to the First Aid post right next to my freezer full of treats. It intrigued me, and I decided to look into it further.” 

One idea led to another, and Dominiek devised a simple but effective solution: poles on the beach that children and parents could use as landmarks if they became separated. 

“Together with my late father-in-law, I designed the shapes. My wife, who worked in youth services, insisted the figures should be instantly recognisable and connect with a child’s world. So we started with bananas, boats, houses, apples, fish, and trains.” 

A former journalist for De Zeewacht, Radio 2, and Knack, and later the owner of his own communications company, Dominiek then sought sponsorship to expand the system. 

That simple idea grew into something extraordinary. 

More than 35 years later, the project is still going strong along our coast, with over 700 orientation poles installed across Europe and even as far as South America. His invention has earned multiple international awards, including the Prix Territorial from the French government.