Luxor

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

CINEMA "Luxor", now a music theatre, built in 1915-1916 to a design in Art Deco style by architect W. DIEHL (1876-1956). The building is located in the continuous northern facade wall of the Willemsplein, near the corner with the Oude Stationsstraat. The building stands on a large plot which has a recessed building line at the front and extends at the rear to the Oude Stationsstraat.

In the first decades of the twentieth century the new medium of film developed rapidly. In particular, (large) cities acquired a cinema during this period; a new building type, designed exclusively for the display of films to the public. The cinema operator F. van Laeken realised his plan for a cinema in Arnhem in collaboration with several entrepreneurs in the years 1915-1916: the Luxor theatre at the Willemsplein, Arnhem's first cinema and one of the first in the Netherlands. Luxor was in its time an extremely luxurious building, equipped with the latest techniques in the field of lighting and air conditioning and designed according to the latest fashion: Art Deco style. The ornaments of the front facade and interior come from the earthenware manufacturer W.C. BROUWER (including lamp holders, terracotta reliefs and coffered ceiling). The rich use of materials, the powerful forms and the abundant decoration are characteristic of the architecture of W. Diehl. These characteristics are, albeit in other stylistic expressions, also present in the nearby Vesta building (Jansbuitensingel 5) and the shop-dwelling on the corner of the Zijpendaalseweg and the Cronjéstraat.

The cladding, facade and canopy on the first storey date from after the Second World War and are not covered by protection.

Description

Former CINEMA on a rectangular ground plan, consisting of a front structure of two storeys with attic storey and a rear structure of one high storey with attic storey. The attic storey of the front structure has a hipped roof with slates in Maas bond, a ridge parallel to the front facade on which a high zinc crest with two corner finials and seven rounded arch openings (originally containing the letter ornament "LUXOR"). The roof edge of the front hip is raised in the middle and accommodates an arched five-light roof dormer. The attic storey of the rear structure has a high gabled roof with the ridge perpendicular to the front facade and is covered with suppressed modern tiles. The symmetrically arranged FRONT FACADE is built in red brick in English bond with cut joints, has a slightly projecting central section of four bays (covered with a hipped roof) and on either side a slightly lower bay with a flat roof. The projecting central section has on the first storey a modernised facade, wooden canopy and cladding of slate plates (applied in the 1950s). Behind this cladding were reliefs depicting dancing women and acanthus scroll. The original entrance consisted of three coupled doors, set under a large blind round arch. On the second storey are four large, rectangular-shut windows: large single-pane lower sashes, moulded sandstone substitute sills in red, two coupled six-pane windows with worked middle mullion in the fanlights and triangular, stepped lintels in red sandstone with rose ornament between two moulded tympana. The drip sills are of natural stone. The substitute sills and lintels are interconnected by terracotta stones with decorative motifs in relief. The windows are separated from each other by pilasters. The wide corner pilasters are fitted at the height of the floor level with a wrought-iron lamp holder with scroll (the lamps have been removed). The lamp holders are surrounded by flat terracotta panels with relief ornaments (stylised leaf and flower motifs, vases, rope, block and disc mouldings). The facade is finished with single and coupled terracotta corbels with leaf motifs, between which are rectangular terracotta air grilles. The corbels support a far projecting gutter on corbels.

The left and right bays each have a modernised side entrance on the first storey (originally a double wooden door under triangular lintel). Above the side entrances is a five-times brick segment arch, which is wedged between likewise step-wise projecting sandstone setting blocks with ball motifs. On the second storey is a window as described for the central section. The INTERIOR of Luxor retains many original components. In the side corridors on either side of the modernised vestibule: pink/red granite floors with mosaic borders and tiled wainscots (blue and yellow/green mottled tiles and an ornament band with flower motifs). In the transverse corridor behind the vestibule a similar small floor and two marble stairs to the floor above. The right stair has a granite landing and wooden balustrades in Art Deco style. The upper floor has a stuccoed coffered ceiling with pearl mouldings, one tiled room with a division into panels and stretched canvas. The large auditorium has a barrel vault with coffers and at regular intervals placed vault ribs (five in total). The terracotta coffers have a chequerboard pattern with rich decorations, a light bulb fitting in the middle and spheres in the corners. The vault ribs rest on wall piers and have a continuous stuccoed band with plant and fruit motifs. The wall piers have high, panel-decorated bases and between them similar wainscots. The stage is flanked on either side by a plastered strip with palm fronds and pearl edge and a multiple-constricted column with leaf and scroll-work mouldings. The stage is closed off by an arch field with a relief representation of musical and dancing putti with palm fronds and garlands. The balcony opposite the stage has three arch openings, resting on two piers with grooves containing spheres. The space above the large auditorium is boarded with beading and has iron triangular roof trusses (four rafter legs placed diagonally against each other with V-shaped latticed trusses and a vertical tension rod in the middle).

Valuation

Former CINEMA, now music theatre "Luxor" from 1915-1916.

- Of architectural historical value as a good, largely intact and rare example of an early cinema theatre in Art Deco style, which stands out for high aesthetic qualities, in both interior and exterior, such as rich use of materials and distinctive ornamentation (partly derived from the earthenware manufacturer W.C. Brouwer). The building is thus innovative in value, is of particular importance for the oeuvre of architect W. DIEHL (1876-1956) and occupies an important place within the national architectural history.

- Of urban planning value as part of the historically grown ring structure/buildings of Arnhem, in which Luxor plays an image-determining role because of its use of materials, distinctive ornamentation and architectural design. The building therefore has particular significance for the appearance of Arnhem.

- Of cultural-historical value because of its original purpose, as a distinctive expression of the development of the film medium; because of its current purpose which is still connected with cultural life in and beyond Arnhem. Furthermore, the building is important because of its appearance, as a distinctive expression of the origin history of the cinema building type: one of the first and very luxuriously executed buildings for the display of films to the public.