Gaudeamus

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, in Dutch. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Description

In 1924, designed by his son F.E. Rontgen and, according to the foundation stone, also by the architects Hoenink and Gathier, realised for the musician Julius Rontgen in Amsterdam School style as a country house, named Gaudeamus, with building volumes varying in height and form constructed in brick and wood under an arrangement of thatched roofs on a floor plan reminiscent of a concert grand piano.

The building is dominated by the high main wing, erected under a steep gabled roof with hipped end at the rear, with a very sharp stepped gable provided with standing boarding and slightly overhanging apex, beneath which is a series of accordion-pleated windows and an almost blank ground floor facade on the street side. On the left side, the steep roof slope is carried lower and the roof contains three triangular roof dormers with overhanging gabled roofs above a horizontal row of windows. The roof is further interrupted by four horizontal windows on the right side and two - subsequently enlarged - windows in the hipped roof at the rear, all covered by circular segments of Norwegian sandstone. On the ground floor, the left side facade contains a series of coupled windows between semicircular columns, interrupted by a side door. Originally, virtually all windows had horizontal glazing bars; the bevelled window forms are now still maintained on the ground floor and at the rear. The semicircular columns are executed in Norwegian sandstone.

The main entrance is located at the head of the low, recessed wing on the northeast side under the projecting, rounded hip of the low thatched roof and contains a triangular window in the door. The windows in the wing are alternated by semicircular columns which correspond in height to the alternating formats of the window sections, whereby the smaller windows are triangular in form.

On the west side, the half-height transverse wing adjoins at right angles with a semicircularly terminated roof that is carried lower on the north side, where the surrounding, overhanging extension of the former music room is located, provided with standing boarding and rows of coupled square windows and resting on masonry piers. On the rear, the row of windows is closed off by a garden door, leading to a quarter-circle-turning step with cross wall, beside which the rear entrance between two semicircular columns. The transverse wing contains on the upper storey on both long sides furthermore a series of coupled windows.

Adjoining the southwest side, the likewise semicircularly terminated wing, originally intended as a consulting room, and provided with windows varying in height between semicircular columns, whereby the highest-placed horizontal windows have still retained the narrow glazing bars.

At the connection with the high roof of the main wing is located the high-built chimney.

Internally, there remains the main staircase in the central hall with inverted conical shapes in the banisters.

Villa built in Amsterdam School style with distinctive form and detailing of general importance due to architectural and cultural-historical value as well as due to its later significance in the development of modern music.