Klooster, Wilhelminaweg 77

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

Introduction

The CONVENT in austere neo-Gothic style was built in 1897-1899 to the design of architect J.H. Tonnaer from Delft on behalf of the Franciscan order. The work was carried out by contractor Jan Gommarus van der Linden from Woerden. The convent was built on part of the garden behind the R.C. church from 1892. The recently completed adjoining presbytery had to make way because it was in the way.

On 18 October 1897 the foundation stone was laid next to the main entrance by provincial superior Stephanus van de Burgt and vicar F. Aghina. The solemn consecration took place on 2 May 1899.

From 1920 onwards, the convent housed the missionary work centre of the Franciscan order. The convent becoming empty eventually led in 1978 to the sale of the convent to the municipality of Woerden. Originally, on the ground floor there were a guest quarters, refectory, kitchen, library, sacristy, chapter hall and a storage room. The connection to the church was via the recreation room. On the upper floor were the dormitory with 26 cells, a chapel and infirmary. In the attic were a further 16 cells for lay brothers, also a sewing workshop and storage for habits.

Currently the convent houses an arts centre with amongst other things a music school and theatre facilities. For the purposes of the theatre hall, the inner courtyard is roofed over. The main structure of the building has been largely preserved.

Description

The convent is situated on the Wilhelminaweg, to the left and rear (south-west side) of the R.C. 'H. Bonaventurakerk'. The neo-Gothic building of brickwork on an approximately square ground plan consists of two storeys above a surrounding basement under a surrounding hipped roof covered with slates. The four wings are grouped around a square, now roofed-over inner courtyard. On the roof are roof dormers with hipped rooflets and a roof turret with bell. The roof dormers have double sash windows with four-pane glazing. The symmetrically arranged front facade (south side) on the Wilhelminaweg is seven bays wide and is articulated by pilasters in colossal order with a natural stone coping plate. The facade is terminated with a round-arched frieze. Between the pilasters are cross windows on both storeys, with natural stone under-, middle and upper sill plates, placed under relieving arches. The lower windows have glazing bars, the upper windows do not.

In the centre there is a slightly projecting apex gable section containing a round-arched portal set within the wall with a double wooden door, provided with decorative hinges and closing hardware, under a round-arched fanlight with a four-foil motif. On the upper storey are two cross windows and on the attic storey between two narrow sash windows a stone image of St. Francis under a baldachin. The facade is crowned by a natural stone cross.

The right side facade adjoining the connection with the church is five bays wide and has an outbuilt staircase provided with pointed-arched or round-arched leaded-light windows.

The left side facade contains a narrow outbuilt staircase and a low outbuilding under a gabled roof with a door. On the ground floor to the right are five-rod sash windows set for the former refectory and on the upper floor four (originally five) coupled five-rod sash windows, all under a small relieving arch.

The rear facade has in the centre a five-sided enclosed outbuilding over the full height of the facade. These are two chapel spaces placed one above the other. To the right of this is an equally outbuilt staircase with a door. A two-storey-high intermediate structure under a flat roof with crenellated parapet forms on the left the connection with the southern transept arm of the R.C. H. Bonaventurakerk. The intermediate structure is articulated by pilasters and has on the ground floor three composite glazing-bar windows and an entrance section within pointed-arched sparing fields and on the upper floor four narrow leaded-light windows.

On the threshold at the vestibule of the main entrance PAX HUIC DOMUI is inscribed. The corridors running around on the ground floor on the inside are furnished with mortared cross-ribbed vaults composed of red and yellow brick with natural stone springers. The walls are whitewashed and the floors provided with black marble tiles. The chapel spaces have cross-ribbed vaults provided with mortared ribs in red brick. Oak-panelled or clamp-fastened doors provide access to various rooms. The former refectory is furnished with barrel vaults. The pointed-arched windows in the corridors, which originally offered views onto the interior courtyard, are provided with leaded-lights. The staircases contain cast-iron stairs provided with wooden treads, wooden stair rails and decorative wrought-iron balusters in the stair gates. The underside of stairs are filled in with mortared small barrel vaults.

Some former cells have oak portals. The cells on the attic floor have the roof timbers of the truss left exposed.

Valuation

The object is of general importance because of its architectural-historical value as an example of a late-nineteenth-century convent in neo-Gothic style, as well as because of the integrity of the main form and the detailing and interior elements. Also of general importance as an example from the oeuvre of architect J.H. Tonnaer. It is furthermore of cultural-historical value within the development of the R.C. faith in the nineteenth century in general and in particular as an expression of the principles of the Franciscan order. Finally, it is of important ensemble value with the adjoining R.C. H. Bonaventurakerk.