Winkel (G2), Koningsstraat 10

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

SHOP BUILDING probably designed in 1881 by Herman Rudolf Stoett in simple Neo-Classicism with the rounded corner characteristic of Leeuwarden.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, traffic on horseback in the city centre increased so much that especially in narrow streets, a good view of intersections had to be promoted by architectural measures. Elsewhere, this objective was mostly achieved by prescribing during renovations that the corners had to be cut off. The municipality of Leeuwarden attempted with such corner buildings, often shop buildings, to acquire as much land as possible or otherwise subsidise the renovation in order to improve sightlines and facilitate passage by rounding off the sharp corners. In Leeuwarden, many of those characteristic rounded corners are still to be found, such as this one at the corner of the narrow Koningsstraat and the Tweebaksmarkt on a building that came into being before the year of the canal's filling-in (1894).

Architect Herman Rudolf Stoett (1838-1887) has a number of those buildings with rounded corners to his name, all furnished in simple Neo-Classicist style as with this building. To the oeuvre documented from this architect, this building is (not yet) included, but on stylistic grounds it is fairly certainly attributable to him.

Description

EXTERIOR: Narrow and deep building on a sloping ground plan; the eastern part is three and the western part two storeys and a truncated hipped roof high. The east facade is one bay with the rounded, slightly projecting corner bay wide, the north facade four bays. Rendered plinth with basement windows; the facades of the first storey are block rendered, closed at the top with a multi-profiled moulding: a combination of a cornice and a transom band for the second storey. Otherwise the building has greyish-brown brickwork. Corniced render cornice under profiled gutter. Arched closed wall openings with T-windows, on the second and third storeys with string courses. On the first storey step of three treads, of which the highest is of hardstone. The rounded double door has lights and a fanlight, furthermore a small (east) and large (north) shop window. In lower element behind hardstone step door with iron grille and fanlight. The hipped roof with flat, fluted Frisian tile, a small roof window and on the low element a simple deck-house.

INTERIOR: The interior is still largely in original condition, with the exception of a few provisions for modern domestic comfort. On the ground floor the shop has original wooden parts on the walls, window framings, stucco ceiling with flat border and central ornament of curled foliage. In the back room walls and ceiling are flatly stuccoed. In the basement over its full depth an intermediate wall has been partially removed. The brickwork visible there is considerably older than the building. The basement is lit by low, broad windows. In the inner corner of the front section the base of a chimney breast with a silhouette of clasp stones. In the inner corner of the rear section a substantial chimney with white tile facing and mantel. The walls have also been tiled, but not much of that remains. The brick-tiled floor is partially damaged.

On the first floor in the rear building a modern kitchen with toilet; in the main volume rooms with profiled-trimmed narrow suite doors with plain leaded glass. In inner corners black marble chimney breasts with stuccoed mantels with cornices. Stuccoed ceilings with border of combined cord and foliage mouldings and central ornament of acanthus scrollwork. Trimmed windows and panelled door. On the second floor corner room in the same decoration, the other two rooms fitted out as kitchen and bedroom.

VALUATION

Shop building of general cultural-historical, architectural-historical and urban-planning importance on account of

- the rounded corner characteristic of Leeuwarden as a means to improve sightlines and passage for traffic;

- the completeness of the undercellared shop with upper residence(s);

- the well-preserved, yet simple Neo-Classicist style in which the building is found both externally and internally;

- the characteristic corner solution in relation to the location at the corner of a narrow street.