Replica of Noah's Ark to stay in the Netherlands; ship will be transported to Amsterdam
Plans to move a replica of Noah’s Ark to Israel or South Korea have been canceled. The ship will now stay in the Netherlands, according to Rijnmond. The vessel is set to be transported to the harbor of Amsterdam from Krimpen aan den IJssel.
"The Ark, with its exhibition space, cinema, and accommodations, offers many possibilities for our plans,” a spokesperson of the company Beelen, who are behind the project developer Laerendael said.
Dutch entrepreneur Johan Huibers began building a smaller variant of the ship from the Bible in 2007. The ship is 122 meters long and 27 meters high. It has seven floors with several cinemas, a restaurant, and four apartments.
The original plan for the ship was to bring attention to Noah’s story to people young and old. However, this plan was unsuccessful, and the ship has been unused since 2016. Huiberts will continue to be involved with the ship under the new plans.
The ship will be brought to Amsterdam via the North Sea as it is too big for rivers and canals. "For example, the transport could be done via a kind of platform. But those are constantly being used for windmills. It will be quite a difficult job,” said the spokesperson.
Upon arrival in Amsterdam, the ship will be renovated. “The wood is not in the best state in some areas,” said the spokesperson. "After the renovation, we will finally be able to shape the new plans."
Beelen has previously stated its intention to develop a Superyacht Tech Campus, but plans for this have been blocked by the municipality. The company may use the Ark to aid their plans for this.
