Raadhuis

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 former TOWN HALL of Beers is located on the southern side of the Grotestraat. The building was constructed in 1915 in late neo-Renaissance style. Around 1935 and again in 1956 the building was extended at the rear with, among other things, a council chamber and a service counter. The latter component falls outside the protection.

Description

The town hall originally had a square floor plan. Due to later extensions at the rear, this became T-shaped. The cellared single-storey part from 1915 has a hipped roof with tuile-du-nord tiles and a central octagonal open roof lantern with needle spire and zinc weathervanes.

The brick masonry is provided with wrought-iron ornamental wall anchors and is terminated by a moulded drip moulding on wooden consoles. The front facade has three window bays. In the strongly pronounced central risalit, which is crowned by a stepped gable, a recessed hinged door with wrought-iron decorative metalwork and divided fanlight has been installed in a portico.

There is also a marble facade stone with the inscription: "The first stone laid / by P.A.H.E. Thijssen, mayor / Beers, 3 July 1915". A brick staircase with sandstone corner pieces leads to this entrance section. In the top gable crowned by a ball, a small wooden cross window has been installed, above which the municipal coat of arms in high relief.

On either side of the risalit is a wooden cross window with panel shutters, decorated with diabolo designs. In the eastern side facade, in addition to a cross window, three lights and a stained-glass window have been installed. The western facade has, next to a cross window, three basement lights with burglar bars and three lights broken through later.

The rear building consists of a high single-storey section adjoining the old town hall, under a gabled roof from around 1935, where the council chamber was previously housed. Three wooden cross windows under round arch recesses have been installed in the rear facade. In 1956 a single-storey extension under a flat roof was placed against this rear facade. In the interior, among other things, the wooden draught entrance, the central corridor with brick arches, black and white tiled floor and recessed doors, the stairwell with stained-glass window, depicting the Beerse Overlaat with the text: "Beerse Maas" and a tile tableau with a landscape and the municipal coat of arms are of importance.

Valuation

The town hall is of general interest. It has cultural-historical importance as an example of administrative and socio-economic development, namely the establishment of town halls in the period shortly after 1900 and as an example of the typological development of the town hall. It has architectural-historical value because of the style and detailing. It is also valuable because of the special use of materials and ornamentation. It is important because of the integrity of the exterior and interior.