Stadsarmhuis

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

ORIGINAL MUNICIPAL ALMSHOUSE, built in 1879/'81 to the design of municipal architect Thomas Romein with the assistance of his deputy J.E.G. Noordendorp in a restrained neoclassicistic style, in 1985 converted for residential and work purposes on a temporary basis.

The spacious open area in the inner courtyard between Ruiterskwartier and Nieuwestad was in the seventeenth century the garden of the Martenahuis on the Nieuwestad with almost completely built-up development of small houses on the Hania- and Ype Brouwerssteeg. In 1685 the garden was partly built upon on the initiative of the province with a workshop for the newly established cloth factory. Within five years this initiative for large-scale industry failed and the buildings were converted to the State Ammunition, Rifle and Rest House. After some alterations the complex came into use as a barracks, but after the construction of a new barracks on the Amelandsdwinger in 1826/'30 the building could be vacated again. The Poor Relief Board subsequently requested the Council to designate it as an 'institution for the benefit of the general poor' and in 1831 the building was converted and fitted out for elderly poor and abandoned children. This Almshouse underwent various alterations and enlargements. In 1879 a neighbouring wagon house and a still undeveloped piece of the Martenagarden could be purchased, the Council decided upon a complete renewal of the Almshouse and still that same year the work could be put out to tender. After many, particularly internal alterations, whereby hall rooms were divided into rooms, it remained in use as a Municipal Care Home until 1974. After some temporary, marginal uses it was in 1985 converted on a low-budget basis into residential apartments and small-scale business premises.

Description

EXTERIOR: Square-shaped building with an inner courtyard on a nearly square ground plan of approximately 42 by 42 metres and two storeys beneath a gently sloping, cut-off and cornice-topped hipped roof. The building faces two free-standing facades following the building line towards Hania- and Ype Brouwerssteeg without stoeps. The facade of Haniasteeg is laid in cross bond with brown brick, the largely built-in side facades partly with Frisian yellow bricks and the remaining outer and inner facades with light greyish-brown brick. On Haniasteek the facade is opened with a regular, though not symmetrical rhythm of twelve, on Ype Brouwerssteeg of fourteen composite and large windows. The segment-shaped closed frames with relieving arches possess stout central mullions and six-light windows. Above the more lightly executed capitals are four-light fanlights which almost all still possess the diamond-shaped insertion of small glazing bars at the crossing. On Haniasteeg in the centre an original entrance with fanlight and (renewed) double door, on the north side a wall niche broken through with a newly created access and for the southern, covered alley the original narrow door with fanlight. On Ype Brouwerssteeg some pairs of six-light windows are closed up to shallow niches except for the fanlights. The partly built-in north and south facades facing the alleys and on the upper storey opened with similar windows and several door openings. The windows facing the inner courtyard are of the same form and set in the facades in a comparable manner, but there are more single or double door bays on the inside. All windows and niches of the outer facades possess hard stone sub-sills; those of the inner facades are of wood. Thus the outer facades do have, those facing the inner courtyard lack drip mouldings. Above the reliefs of all windows ornamental wall anchors are placed. In the southern inner facade the foundation stone: 'The first stone was laid on 23 March 1880 by Mr. W.J. van Welderen baron Rengers burgher-master of Leeuwarden'. The facades are finished with a moulded cornice with gutter moulding. The largely built-in side facades possess some small extensions with entrances at open and covered alleys. The largest extension is placed on the eastern wing facing the inner courtyard, an element in the extent and form of the wings themselves. On the eastern and southern roof slopes facing the inner courtyard stand broad roof dormers, on some subordinate components the only considerable modifications of the original appearance.

INTERIOR: The internal traffic structure - the broad corridors (north and south along the outer facades; west and east facing the inner courtyard) and stairs with partly carved newels characteristic of the large, square-shaped almshouse - is still original, but the layout of the living spaces, including some original fireplace mantels, has been altered several times. Here and there original traces can be found, but these no longer have significant coherence. The original roof truss structure is however still present, which on the inner courtyard side is broken through on two sides with broad dormers.

VALUATION:

Almshouse, now in use as a building with residential apartments and work studios of general cultural and socio-historical, urban planning and architectural historical significance:

- because of the building's testimony to the philanthropy pursued by the local authority;

- because the square-shaped building with its concealed location in the urban fabric reveals itself as a large care home for the poorest;

- because of the stylistic purity in a restrained, but not impoverished neoclassicism of the largely intact exterior and the characteristic square form with still existing internal traffic structure with a number of original components;

- because of the remarkable place it occupies in the oeuvre of municipal architect Thomas Romein.