NDSM Giants & 3x3 legacy courts

From 24 April, NDSM Giants will be on view at NDSM. Three eight-metre-high concrete sculptures designed by Gabriel Lester (PolyLester) will rise on the site. The giant basketball players, captured in motion, reveal from shifting perspectives a fascinating interplay between stillness and movement, between figuration and abstraction.

With the placement of NDSM Giants beside the 3x3 Legacy Courts at NDSM the design by PolyLester will be complete. Since 2024, these colourful basketball courts have given the wharf a strong and recognisable identity. The graphic design by PolyLester, with bright orange and blue lines, connects with the shapes and lines of the surrounding buildings. With the arrival of NDSM Giants, this spot will further develop into a lively meeting place for young people, local residents and visitors to the wharf. The official opening will take place on 23 April at the 3x3 Legacy Courts next to Treehouse NDSM, from 17:30–19:30.

“The giants mark the site while simultaneously creating a sheltered space where young people can express themselves through basketball and feel at home.” – Gabriel Lester

PolyLester, founded by visual artist Gabriel Lester in 2013, is a multidisciplinary studio focusing on art, public sculpture, architectural interventions, landscape, interior design, and scenography.

The 3x3 Legacy Courts were created in close collaboration with 3x3 Unites, a foundation that uses 3x3 street basketball to empower young people, and the Municipality of Amsterdam. Since its founding in 2016, 3x3 Unites has inspired and supported young people who want to pursue their dreams. By using 3x3 basketball as a tool to provide guidance and life skills, they encourage young people to take ownership of their own success.

NDSM Giants is made possible in part by Gemeente Amsterdam, the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst and the Mondriaan Fonds.