De Blokhut

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

PETROL STATION 'De Blokhut' with adjoining residential dwellings, built in an expressionist style for petrol station owner F.J. Smits in 1938-1939. The building replaced a petrol station, consisting of a 'log cabin' with two pumps, which had been in use at the same location since 1936. This is the oldest still functioning petrol station in the Netherlands. The building history can be reconstructed on the basis of the building permits. In 1936 a service building was placed for station De Blokhut, consisting of a canopy and a pumping installation. In 1937 an advertising clock was placed on the site. The building permit for the actual pump station with garage and a dwelling was issued on 23 November 1938. On 8 March 1939 the permit for the extension of a second service dwelling on the west side followed. In 1947 the western dwelling was divided. Various minor modifications to and around the building took place in the years 1949, 1951, 1962 (for Shell) and 1971. In 1975 the interior was adapted, the canopy replaced and the extension demolished. New components are the shop fronts, the pumps and pump islands, the paving and the tanks. After some years of vacancy 'De Blokhut' was taken back into use and converted to a 'PK' station by the new owner P. Kropman.

'De Blokhut' is situated against the southern slope of the Muiderstraatweg, former part of National Road A1.

Description

The petrol station is built in rendered brick and concrete on an elongated rectangular floor plan against the slope of the road: the front (north) on the street consists of one storey, the rear (south) is at a lower level and consists of two storeys. The flat-roofed building consists of a petrol-service station section flanked by two dwellings. The building has been symmetrical since the extension of the western dwelling in 1939 which is a mirrored version of the dwelling on the east. The petrol-service station consists, viewed from the north, of a central sales section with a workshop on the left and rear side and a grease pit (now car wash room) on the right side. In the centre of the sales point stands an advertising tower, originally equipped with a flagpole, built up from three cubistically stacked discs. The north facade which was initially divided into three large glass shop fronts with steel frames has been modified several times over time. The canopy and pump islands have also been replaced several times, but still correspond in design and use to the first design (except for the height of the canopy, which was initially lower and visually connected to the roof plane). The foundation stone bears the inscription: 'DE BLOKHUT/ the first stone laid/ by barta jakoba smits 2 yrs./ and arie smits 9 yrs./ 24 march 1939'. The two dwellings are accessible via a staircase with closed parapet along the front facade and via an iron staircase to the upper storey along the rear facade. Turned windows are located at the corners. The rear facade (south) contains windows of the dwellings and larger window sections of the workshop. The window frames of the building were mostly replaced (and are nowadays executed in unpainted hardwood).

Valuation

The petrol station 'De Blokhut' with adjoining dwellings is of general importance from a cultural-historical and architectural-historical point of view as one of the oldest preserved examples of a petrol station in the Netherlands and as the oldest functioning example.

The station is of general importance from an architectural-historical point of view because of its expressionist design and because of the typologically distinctive combination of petrol station and dwellings.