't Kristallijn

't Kristallijn is a private residence with exhibition space on the border between a completed extraction area and an active quarry of Sibelco. The garden is accessible to the public and was designed by the world-renowned landscape architects Wirtz. Across the street lies an active sand quarry. Through a piping system, which you can also see during the walk, the sand is transported to Sibelco's washing facility in Mol-Donk.

In 1845, it became clear for the first time what valuable sand could be found in Mol and its surroundings. The quartz sand emerged during the excavation of the Bocholt-Herentals canal. Businessman Antoon Van Eetvelde received permission from the state to extract the sand and founded the company Sablières et Carrières Réunies (SCR) in 1872. In 1896, SCR merged under the Emsens family into SCR-Sibelco.

GVA - Gazet van Antwerpen