Kerk, Middenweg 4

English translation

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Description

Introduction

REFORMED CHURCH WITH PARSONAGE, SEXTON'S DWELLING, COMMUNITY HALL AND STORAGE BUILDING, built in 1929-1930 designed by Groningen architect Egbert Reitsma, who considered the church of Andijk his best work. From virtually unlimited resources Reitsma was able to realise a church, which in West-Friesland is also called the 'reformed cathedral'. The church is one of the most exuberant reformed church buildings in the Netherlands and was built in an expressionistic architectural style with references to Gothic. More specifically, one could place the church within the architecture of the Amsterdam School.

Competitive motives certainly played a role in the construction of this spectacular building. There was a desire to rival Enkhuizen, situated ten kilometres to the south, and the large neo-Gothic church of the neighbouring Catholic village of Wervershoof. The church at Andijk may be regarded as a milestone in the emancipation of the Reformed in the Netherlands. The difference between the small churches from the Doleantie period (1886-1892) and the reformed church of Andijk (1930) symbolises the growth in the position of the 'Common People'. They had to establish their profile on the one hand in relation to the Protestants from whom they had separated, on the other hand in relation to the Catholics, who since 1853 had also been engaged in recovering their position lost since the Reformation. Andijk had experienced a flourishing period in the 1920s of the twentieth century in the cultivation of bulbs. This explains how one could afford such an expensive church. It concerned the replacement of a nineteenth-century church building that had become too small. After the church council had discussed renovation, it was decided to proceed with new construction. Groningen architect Egbert Reitsma was engaged as architect. The reformed church of Weesp (also by Reitsma) had been decisive in the final choice of architect. In January 1929 Reitsma presented a plan costing f.120,000,-, while only f.90,000,- had been budgeted. They wanted to reduce building costs by omitting the tower, which would save f.15,000,-. In February 1929 Reitsma submitted a revised budget of f.100,000,- with a tower forty metres high. How much importance he attached to the realisation of a tower became clear when he offered to charge no fee for building the tower in the negotiations. At a later stage he contributed f.1000,- to the construction. Ultimately the committee agreed to the construction of the tower. On 27 March 1929 the project was put out to tender. The foundation stone ceremony took place on 25 July of that year. However, construction progressed slowly. Due to the economic world crisis, the export of flower bulbs largely ceased, which had an impact on fundraising. On 3 September 1930 the opening into use was celebrated (J.J. Falize, 'Church building between the world wars. The Amsterdam School' in "One hundred and fifty years of reformed church building", ed. R. Steensma and C.A. van Swigchem; and doctoral thesis by J.J. Falize, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen). The church organ was built by the Spiering firm around 1930, based on an older core. N.B. The organ instrument does not fall under protection.

Description

On the east side of Middenweg, a complex of the Reformed Congregation at Andijk, consisting of a series of south-north-oriented building volumes of parsonage, church, tower with incorporated sexton's dwelling, halls and a storage building. The parsonage is situated most southerly, halls and storage building most northerly. All building volumes are built together and grouped along a north-south axis parallel to the Middenweg, which in turn is perpendicular to the IJsselmeerdijk.

The church with annexe building volumes is completely detached, at some distance from the IJsselmeerdijk and from the Middenweg, in its own setting. By setting back the building line a space has been created between church and road which is occupied by a church square and a large garden.

The individual building volumes all have an internal steel-frame concrete structure, in the exterior clad with masonry brick. The rich texture of this brickwork is further enhanced by the use of various special bond patterns: the plinth for example is laid in block bond, imitating rustica. All the building volumes have very steep, high-rising hipped or gabled roofs, covered with slate in Maas bond. Between the building volumes of the hall section and church rises the tower, which tapers in steps and which is crowned by a spire covered with slate. Belfry with bell by Van Bergen, 1929, diam. 137.2 cm. Mechanical tower clock by M. van de Kerkhof, 1873.

The church space is a central structure on a cruciform floor plan, consisting of two crossing sections: an east-west-oriented rectangle perpendicular to the Middenweg and a north-south-oriented rectangle with chamfered corners parallel to the Middenweg. The latter rectangle forms the basis for the church section with the church pews, closed off by two polygonal sections. The rectangle perpendicular to the Middenweg forms the basis for the main entrance (west), pew plan (middle) and pulpit (east). There are also entrances on the north and south sides. In the exterior the two rectangles at right angles to each other can be recognised by the roof form. The north-south-oriented rectangle with chamfered corners is closed off by a hipped roof with ridge line parallel to the Middenweg. The rectangle perpendicular to the Middenweg is crowned by a high-rising gabled roof that cuts through the aforementioned hipped roof in the middle. The west gable of the church has a large entrance portal and is compositionally built up from a number of intersecting triangles, each with the same base. In front the triangle with the entrance, above it the triangle of the church council room. Behind it a steeper triangle, which carries the glazed light arrangement for the nave and behind it the very high gable top with slanted joint lines. The windows of the church council room and the nave consist of a projecting triangular glazed structure. Buttresses stand on the corners of the church building, with semicircular passages left open. The tall narrow windows are crowned by tracery. These window sections appear not only in the building volume of the church but also in the parsonage and the hall section.

In the interior, on either side of the main entrance (west) are the staircases to the galleries. The number of seats is 1200. The pews are grouped in a semicircle around the pulpit (east). Above the pulpit stands on a balcony the organ (not in itself worthy of protection) in an open arrangement. In execution and in relation to the pulpit the organ front makes a marked element of the furnishings. The interior is lit by windows in the lower section and a large window above the entrance, opposite the pulpit. The lower windows have stained glass with depictions of trade, technology, agriculture, shipping and the like, also designed by Reitsma. The space is spanned by a parabolic vault. The central section is formed by a barrel vault between two masonry transverse arches. To this central bay on a rectangular floor plan connect on the left and right radial vaults over the polygonal sections (five-sided 'apses'). The vault springing is covered with wooden sculptures in the form of a geometric pattern of wooden blocks, painted in bright colours. The vault fields are partially painted with geometric motifs, from the rise of the wooden vault to approximately half height. Only along the ribs do the motifs run somewhat further upwards.

Valuation

The reformed church with annexe buildings is of general importance for cultural and architectural-historical value as a well-preserved example of ecclesiastical architecture from the second quarter of the twentieth century in the expressionistic style of the Amsterdam School. Moreover, the church with annexe buildings has ensemble value through the well-preserved coherence between the various components and through the visually defining situation of the whole in the North Holland polder landscape. The church with annexe buildings is also important as one of the principal works from the oeuvre of architect Egbert Reitsma.