Kerk, BY Raamse Akkers 14 Haaren (Oisterwijk 30)

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 north-south oriented CHURCH is located on the southern part of the grounds of the former seminary and connects the two rear wings through a long connecting passage of one storey from which access can be gained to the atrium of the church which is flanked by two small single-storey buildings under a gabled roof covered with slates. The church, designed between 1936 and 1940 and constructed in forms of the Delft School, was built as a chapel for prayer for the students of the Grand Seminary and took the place of its predecessor in Waterstaatsstijl from 1836.

Description.

The church is a three-aisled brick cross-basilica with a two-part elevation (arcade and clerestory). Each of the three bays of the nave is vaulted with a stone barrel vault. The clerestory is supported by sturdy masonry flying arches. Against the side aisles are placed buttresses tapering to nothing. The church has two relatively low facade towers on the corners, a large and striking crossing tower on a rectangular base and two low spiral staircases flanking the semicircular apse. The nave of the church has a gabled roof with interlocking slate tiles; the side aisles each have a lean-to roof with interlocking slate tiles. Against the transept and choir on both sides are annexes which have served among other things as a sacristy. The north wall of the church has a rose window with brick and natural stone tracery in the form of a hexagonal star. Next to the rose window are large natural stone reliefs; possibly the coats of arms of the Bossche bishops. Above this is a frieze of eight blind recesses. The most striking element of the church is the massive crossing tower with four octagonal pinnacles placed diagonally. This has a distinctly keep-like silhouette and may probably be understood as a castle metaphor. Although the church appears to be traditional brickwork, concrete has been extensively used internally in, among other things, the skeletons of the towers. Access to the nave of the church is gained via a tall rectangular atrium. The atrium has walls of fair-faced brickwork and is vaulted with transverse brick barrel vaults on heavy tie beams with keystones and natural stone corbels. The floor with step is tiled with natural stone paving. In the atrium is a white marble holy water basin. The entrance to the church nave is formed by a hinged door with a segmental arch and geometric decorative joinery. Above this, in the form of a medallion, is a colourful mosaic with Mary and the Christ Child. The atrium is flanked on the north side against the connecting passage by two small ancillary buildings. Both have a rectangular base, walls of fair-faced brickwork and a gabled roof. The buildings served among other things as a space for a pastor. The three-aisled basilical church has a two-part elevation; a round arch arcade on piers and a clerestory with in each case two coupled segmental arch windows. The bays have a square base and each have a separately masoned barrel vault. They are separated from each other by sturdy brick bond beams. On the inside the piers always have a small column with a fluted natural stone capital. Against the north wall is a substantial organ/choir gallery which is supported in the nave by natural stone bundle piers. The nave has shallow transept arms with small side chapels. The raised choir section has a floor with square grey marble paving with inlay work of white and red marble. In the transepts, with multi-coloured marble columns and figurative white marble capitals with a straight closed superstructure with decorative brickwork, a sort of continuous arcade for the narrow choir ambulatory is realised. In the choir this is transformed into an arcade of alternating stone piers and marble columns. In the choir, the capitals are depicted with angels playing instruments. The brickwork of the arcade is treated with openwork and is richly enlivened with natural stone blocks for decoration. The multi-coloured stained glass in the semicircular apse dates from 1939, is a design by H. Koolen, the executor was G. Mesteron. Depicted are among others St. Carolus Borromeus, the Holy Trinity and St. Franciscus of Sales. The church has on either side of the choir several large and small ancillary buildings which all date from the time of construction and in detailing are derived from the main forms of the church. As regards finishing and detailing, most attention has been given to the sacristy. This has an ante-room in which a heavy safe and a white marble washbasin are incorporated. The sacristy itself has a parquet floor and a wooden segmental arch vault with therein suspended wooden tie beams with an X-shaped double wooden false wind-tie at the top. Although the church at first sight appears to be only soberly ornamented, upon closer inspection it turns out that in particular the multi-coloured marble columns and capitals with figurative representations which are located at the shallow transepts and choir ambulatory and various components of the church furnishings such as the marble high altar, the marble washbasin, the marble holy water basin and the wrought iron chandeliers and hinges are of a high-quality architectural and art-historical quality. Organ and organ case are not of value from the point of view of monument care. On the outside of the church, on the east and west walls, hardstone commemorative plaques are affixed which commemorate the foundation stone laying of both the old and the new chapel. There is also a memorial stone from the time of construction.

Evaluation.

The church on the grounds of the former Grand Seminary at Haaren, nowadays Haarendael, is of general importance. The building has cultural-historical values as a particular expression of spiritual and typological developments. From the complex of buildings, the rise, flourishing and decline of priest training in the Netherlands can be clearly read. It has architectural-historical values because of the importance of the aforementioned objects within the oeuvre of Professor/Architect M.J. Granpré-Molière and because of the rich marble decoration and ornamentation used in the church. Ensemble values because of the situation connected with the development of the increasingly expanded building complex of the former Grand Seminary.

It is of importance because of the structural and visual integrity in relation to the landscape surroundings and because of the high-quality architectural quality of the component parts. It has rarity value because of the architectural-historical and typological rarity of such a former Grand Seminary.