Every new player who joins Feyenoord gets a special welcome from De Feijenoorder: a unique statue, De Twaalfde Man (The Twelfth Man), designed by BRKdesign.
The statue shows a supporter opening his jacket to reveal the club crest on his chest: the gesture of someone who wears his heart for the club. Cast in silver-toned metal, on a plinth reading 'De Twaalfde Man, offered by De Feijenoorder'.
New signings receive the statue in a wooden welcome box, together with a personal welcome card: an immediate introduction to the following that will carry them for years to come.
For BRKdesign it started with a single question: how do you capture the energy of the country's largest independent supporters' association in a tangible object? From first sketch, through a 3D model and a 3D print, to the finished figure cast in tin, we looked for a stance that feels right: recognisable, proud and without frills.
The statue is part of the wider partnership between BRKdesign and De Feijenoorder, in which we shape both the digital and the physical expressions of the association.
From many designs to the statue
The statue grew from loose pencil sketches, through a 3D model and a 3D print, to the finished piece cast in tin.
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01 Multiple sketches Exploring stance, silhouette and gesture -
02 3D model Translated into a three-dimensional model -
03 3D print Printed as a prototype to check form and scale -
04 The statue Cast in tin, on a plinth
Turn the statue around
From the design we built a three-dimensional model. Drag the statue on its axis: from the opened jacket with the F to the text on the back, 'Feijenoorder. Dat ben ik. Dat ben jij.'
Drag to rotate
The statue up close
Stefan Schoenmaker
Questions about this project, or thinking about something similar? I'm happy to think along.