Physisch Laboratorium

English translation

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Description

Introduction UNIVERSITY LABORATORY, standing freely situated on the grounds of the demolished western fortification works at the corner of the Westersingel and the Verlengde Visserstraat, built as a Physical Laboratory in 1889-1892 on commission of J.C. Hübscher, chief superintendent of the State University buildings in Groningen, after a design by State Architect J. van Lokhorst in the style of neo-gothic. The sandstone image of 'Athena' on the north facade was designed by sculptor E. Bourgonjon. A special feature is that during construction the use of iron and steel was avoided in order to carry out magnetic observations as accurately as possible. The grounds are bordered by wrought iron fencing from the period of construction. The extensions on both wings of the building from the nineteen-fifties/sixties and from later date are not worthy of protection by the State. The interior has been largely modernized. The building is currently temporarily in use as residential space pending a new (educational) function. Description The characteristic building is constructed on an L-shaped plan from red brick. The basement is terminated by an offset of ashlar. The facades are enlivened with courses of yellow brick. The laboratory section is partially one storey high under a transversely placed gabled roof, covered with slates. On the southern ridge stands a characteristic mortared chimney with perforated niches with trefoil tracery. The high-built tower-like corner section on the northeast corner is covered with a high, slightly constricted hipped roof, covered with slates. The roof fields are furnished with roof crests with slate caps. This building section contains on the northeast corner on the street side a round stair turret with a roof and narrow leaded glass windows. The stair turret rests on a round, heavy natural stone console, which is decorated with female heads and foliate and leaf work. The north facade is four window bays wide; the eastern side facade counts one window bay. The facades of this building section are terminated by a pointed arch frieze with trefoil tracery and a gutter covered with slates, which rests on natural stone consoles and a list of profile stones. On the ridges stand two richly ornamented zinc crossflowers with weathervanes. The upper half of this building block is internally divided into three low storage storeys. The facades contain on the ground floor four-part, segmental arch closed cross windows, which rest on a continuous natural stone sill band. The constructional components of the windows such as mullions, transition blocks and voussoirs are executed in natural stone and the day-edges of brick profile stones. The windows on the corners of the side facades contain a large projecting natural stone plate, which rests on stepped-fashion recessing, natural stone consoles. The facade masonry of the storeys is articulated by two tall pointed arch windows with horizontal fields with blind tracery. The upper part of the windows contains leaded glass. A similar window is placed on the storey of the eastern side facade. Between the two pointed arch windows of the north facade is a wall pier running through the storeys with blind niche which is terminated at the top by a trefoil tracery. At the height of the springing of the pointed arch windows on the first storey is a sandstone image of more than two metres high, representing Athena and crowned by a baldachin with tracery and a finial. The base of the image rests on a brick column with capital. Adjacent to the north facade is the entrance section in a building volume of one storey under a gabled roof, covered with slates. The entrance consists of a heavy, worked double panelled door with neo-gothic shaping and an ashlar step of seven treads. Above the entrance is a portico with lean-to roof, which rests on worked wooden struts. Above this is a pointed arch window with leaded glass in the upper section. In the stepped gable is a circular window with trefoil tracery. The stepped gable is covered with slates and is crowned by a zinc image of an owl. On the shoulder pieces are zinc waterspouts. The eastern facade of the laboratory section contains on the ground floor three cross windows. On the storey in the centre is a large pointed arch window with tracery placed, which continues in the stepped gable. The stepped gable has a brick coping and natural stone shoulder pieces. Internally of particular importance is the former storage and library section on the northeast corner with wooden galleries, which run through three storeys and rest on worked wooden columns and the wooden beam ceiling. Appraisal UNIVERSITY LABORATORY, bordered by a worked wrought iron fence from the period of construction, realized in 1889-1892 on the western fortification works demolished at the end of the nineteenth century after a design by State Architect J. van Lokhorst, of general importance because of its cultural-historical and architectural-historical value because of the exceptional architectural quality of the design in the style of neo-gothic, characteristic of the oeuvre of State Architect Van Lokhorst in Groningen. Moreover, the building is important for the history of scientific education in Groningen. By its emphatic form and dimensions the building is an important architectural element in the surroundings of the Westersingel and surrounding areas in Groningen.