St. Lambertuskerk

English translation

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Description

Introduction

ST. LAMBERTUSKERK, Roman Catholic parish church on a composite cruciform ground plan, dominantly situated at Koningin Emmaplein, in the sight line of Statensingel, Annalaan and Hertogsingel.

Built between 1914 and 1916 in a predominantly Neo-Romanesque style, commissioned by building pastor J.M. Souren and designed by architect J.H.H. van Groenendael at 's-Hertogenbosch. Contractor W. Erven at Maastricht constructed the foundation; further construction took place in-house. It was the first Maastricht church built outside the former city walls.

After completion in 1916, crack formation occurred in the vaults due to subsidence of the ground and foundation, which was repaired in 1926; in 1931 new crack formation due to subsidence of the southwestern dome pillar, after which the dome and arches were provided with tie rods, the cracked beams reinforced by reinforced concrete beams; 1933, installation of new concrete arches under the existing ones; landscaping installation by landscape architect Bergmans, renewal of roof and dome covering, installation of automatic bell ringing system, illumination of clock faces, 1961; renewal and expansion of the priest's choir, 1966, by architect B. Salemans, with high altar by sculptor Frans Gast; 1976-78, restoration work due to sinking foundations and cracking domes, for which tie rods were installed in the dome arches; 1985 church closed due to subsidence and crack formation.

Description

Roman Catholic parish church, dedicated to St. Lambertus. The church is 43 meters long, 14 meters wide and internally 28 meters high. The dome has a height of 43 meters.

The exterior of the church, entirely constructed in Kunrader stone on a profiled ashlar plinth, exhibits a mixture of stylistic features, in which Neo-Romanesque predominates, evident from the use of pilasters and round-arch motifs. The steps of the entrance portal are made from ashlar components from the fortification remains, the large church doors from the hardwood of a German emergency bridge washed ashore during the First World War. The interior is constructed in marl.

The St. Lambertuskerk has a composite Latin/Byzantine cruciform ground plan with a large crossing and various side chapels. The longitudinal axis has a basilica form, the spatial effect in the church has the effect of a Romanesque-Byzantine central structure. Due to the relatively small side aisles, a divided space did not develop, but one central space, formed by the nave, crossing, transept and choir. The semicircular apse on the north side is accessible from the raised choir. On the west and east sides of the apse are respectively the St. Lambertus and St. Joseph chapels. Against the St. Joseph chapel the sacristy was built. Side chapels lie on the transepts, above which are balustrades accessible via two spiral staircases on either side of the apse. The 43-meter high dome at the crossing is supported by four heavy pillars of Bavarian granite, while the separation between the nave and side aisles is formed by two smaller columns.

Between the transepts and the entrance section, the nave was provided on the east side with a Chapel of Mary, on the west side with the Chapel of Gerard. This entrance section on the square side consists of a main entrance, two side entrances, two flanking towers (the western tower contains the baptismal chapel, the eastern the staircase of the bell tower) with copper spires and each with four decoratively crowned pillars. Two storage rooms next to the towers. The gallery above the main entrance is accessible via a spiral staircase in one of the towers. Two hardwood entrance doors placed in a round-arch-shaped frame with central mullion, stepped-out natural stone arches ornamented with sculpture in deep bas-relief, with representations of the saints Lambertus, Servatius and Hubertus, 1942, executed by W. van Hoorn.

This entrance section is located in a projecting facade section with sharply tapered frame, above which is a gallery with attic. Above this is a rose window. The front facade has a pediment-like termination with blind round-arch niches plus a crown in the form of a cross.

The whole is covered by gabled, lean-to, dome and pyramidal roofs with slate. Ridge ornaments. Two conical tower spires with copper covering. Round-arch and rose windows with stained glass. Elongated, rectangular facade openings in the towers. Rectangular, single and double wooden doors placed in round-arch-shaped frames.

Church and church grounds are surrounded by a wall with pilaster gates of Kunrader stone, between which are wrought-iron railings.

In the rich INTERIOR, with cross, dome and barrel vaults, noteworthy are among others the marble St. Joseph altar (when the priest's choir was renewed, parts of the old high altar were used for the manufacture of both the St. Lambertus altar and the associated black marble column with tabernacle), the oak St. Gerard altar, the marble Mary altar and the St. Anthony altar, currently on loan at the St. Mathias Church. Stained glass from studio N. Nicolas & Zn. at Roermond, 1917-1920, 7 windows in the apse, 5 windows in the St. Lambertus chapel (donated by the family Schaepkens van Riemst), two rose windows in the transept, three coupled windows in the western side aisle next to the St. Gerard chapel. Stained glass rose window above the entrance by H. Oidtmann at Linnich, Germany, installed in 1927. Painted window by Henri Jonas and painted four-evangelist windows by Joep Nicolas, circa 1940. Stations of the Cross in fresco technique by Jan Gregoire, 1939-40; Ceiling paintings in the vault of the priest's choir, 1948, by Benedictine monk François Mes. Gilded reliquary shrine of St. Lambertus, 1940, studio of brothers Brom at Utrecht.

Valuation

The St. Lambertuskerk is of cultural-historical significance as a particular expression of a spiritual development and, as the first church built outside the old fortification wall within Maastricht, possesses a pioneering character.

The church is of particular significance for the history of architecture because of its architectural style. Furthermore, the architectural-historical value is determined by the importance of the church for the oeuvre of architect J.H.H. van Groenendael, by the aesthetic qualities of his design, by the regional material use and the ornamentation.

From the point of view of ensemble values, the church is of great significance as part of the Maastricht ring of fortifications, because of its location - which is connected to the nineteenth-century urban planning development of the city -, because of its very great significance for the city's appearance and because of the historical-spatial relationship with the fortifications and square.

Furthermore, the church has architectural integrity, is of great importance in relation to the structural and visual integrity of the urban environment, and one can speak of a reasonable architectural-historical rarity.