Woonhuis, Ubbo Emmiussingel 79

English translation

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Description

Introduction

TOWNHOUSE, situated at the western end of the almost closed, northern facade wall of the Ubbo Emmiussingel on the corner of the Emmaplein, built in 1901-1902 on the commission of Jhr. Mr. D.R. de Marees van Swinderen to the design of Groningen architects K. & G. Hoekzema in a late, eclectic architectural style with elements of the renewal architecture of around the turn of the century. The building was converted in 1921 into an office for W.A. Scholten Aardappelmeelfabrieken and was adapted internally for this purpose and also later. The building is still currently in use as an office.

Description

The monumental building is erected on a plan that is basically rectangular in form and consists of a high, rendered basement with cellars and two storeys under a composite roof (hipped roof with truncated top and gable tops with gabled roofs), clad with red Tuiles du Nord. The facades are erected in red brick and enlivened in many places with natural stone elements, such as among others lintels, keystones, coping slabs and cordon lines. The facade shows a division into three bays. The eastern bay of two window bays is built up to a gable top. On the ground floor there is a coupled series of three narrow, square-topped windows with worked natural stone lintels and relieving arches. On the storey two windows are installed with finely detailed segmental arches and in the gable top a square-topped window with large round arch. The gable top is covered by natural stone lines and crowned by a finial of also natural stone. A climbing round arch and shoulder blocks with gothicising small columns enhance the decorative quality of the gable top. In the middle is the entrance bay, which is set back slightly. A hardstone staircase of seven steps leads to the portico closed by a wide round arch, resting on two Minoan columns. The double, carved door has a round-arched, four-part fanlight. Beside the entrance are narrow windows with natural stone combs. Above the portico a hardstone balcony box has been installed with a delicately worked wrought-iron railing with Art Nouveau motifs. Behind this are glazed doors, flanked by narrow windows with natural stone combs. This facade part is ended by a decorative crenellation on relief brickwork, behind which a wide dormer window was later installed. On the western corner a tower-like section of four storeys has been erected which has on the boulevard side a wide, rectangular oriel over the first two storeys. Below this is opened with a trio of narrow windows with side lights, on the storey with three round-arch windows with round fanlights and side lights. The round fanlights contain coloured stained glass. On the third storey a balcony with brick balustrade has been installed. Behind this balcony are glazed balcony doors with side and fanlights under a large round arch. The fourth storey has three small, square-topped windows. The tower section is ended by overhanging moulding and crenellations. The western facade of the tower section on the plaza side received some windows on the first two storeys and on the other two storeys the same window forms as in the front facade. The western side facade of the tower section contains three windows over three storeys. The facade is concluded by relief brickwork. The eastern side facade has several window registers and is closed. The rear facade contains broad window sections over two storeys and later installed dormer windows.

Evaluation

TOWNHOUSE, remarkably designed in a richly ornamented, eclectic architectural style in which a plastic use of brick is combined with a rich application of natural stone, to the design of Groningen architects K. & G. Hoekzema, of general importance because of its cultural-historical and architectural-historical value because of the aesthetic and architectural qualities of the design and because of its significance in the oeuvre of the architects. Moreover, the building, which with its characteristic architecture and corner tower closes an uninterrupted wall of valuable buildings, forms an important architectural element in the high-quality urban planning structure of the ring of boulevards on the south side of the city centre of Groningen.