Nutsbedrijf, Schielands Hoge Zeedijk 20

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 WATER TOWER dating from 1883 in Neo-Romanesque style was built on commission of NV Goudsche Waterleiding Maatschappij (Gouda Water Supply Company) at the Schielandse Hoge Zeedijk, where water from the IJssel was obtained for the public drinking water supply. The architect J. Schotel (1845-1912), a specialist in the field of utilitarian construction, designed sixteen water towers in the period 1883-1911. Characteristic of Schotel is the attention he paid to the design and detailing of his projects, whereby he followed the prevailing views and architectural movements of the time. Through this, his body of work provides a representative overview of the architectural development that this type of building underwent in the period 1883-1911. The Gouda water tower is his earliest work in this genre. The design in Neo-Romanesque style is in line with the oldest generation of water towers, which have the character of a 'chateau d'eau'. Architecturally, the robust Gouda water tower shows affinity with those at Katwijk (J.W. Schaap, 1877).

Water towers were generally situated in the immediate vicinity of cities (and thus of the consumers), which meant that a high shaft for pressure regulation was not necessary. The relatively broad upright towers with flat-bottom reservoirs usually have a slightly projecting superstructure at the location of the reservoir, whereby the reservoir wall stands almost perpendicular in the masoned tower shaft. The Gouda water tower, which functioned as such until 1993, was last restored in 1970. It is situated on the Schielandse Hoge Zeedijk and is a clearly recognizable landmark along the western bank of the Hollandsche IJssel, just outside the centre of Gouda.

N.B. The magazine converted to offices in 1979 on the east side dates from 1974. It was built to replace the original boiler house with chimney and engine room dating from 1906 and, like the modern glazed entrance door of the water tower on the northeast side, falls outside the protection of national heritage status.

Description

The approximately 33 metre high round water tower is covered by an overhanging, gently sloping ten-sided tent roof, laid with copper plates. The overhang of the roof edges is carried by elegant wooden corbels. The roof is surrounded by a gutter which at the location of the roof crucks is raised in a semi-circular fashion. On the roof stands a short ten-sided wooden lantern, also covered with copper plates. The whole is crowned by a decorative wrought-iron weathervane.

The facades are constructed of grey brick in Flemish bond, with the plinth finished by a bevelled fillet. The windows under round-arched openings have gently sloping, broad sills and cast-iron frames with tracery. The tower has a three-part horizontal articulation, consisting of a relatively high basement, a shaft and - at the location of the reservoir - a slightly projecting upper section. The three articulations are separated by heavy masoned drip mouldings, the lower one carried by a round-arched frieze that runs around the basement. The basement and shaft are enlivened by ten round-arched relieving arches, those of the basement being partially hidden behind the adjoining structure. The relieving arches of the basement are separated by relatively heavy wall piers, which rest on a plinth with bevelled top. Eight of the ten relieving arches are provided with a coupled round-arched window with masoned sills. On the northwest side is the original entrance, consisting of a double rear-glazed panel door under a round-arched, radially-barred fanlight. In front of the entrance lies a sandstone step of two treads. On the northeast side is a modern door. The shaft has a vertical accent created by the pilasters between the round-arched relieving arches. Within the relieving arches, round-arched windows are placed in alternating fashion. The round-arched termination of the relieving arches rises from sandstone capitals, which by their hollow underside and bevelled upper side have the character of short drip mouldings. At the top of each relieving arch are two coupled semi-circular arches, which meet in the middle on a single corbel. In the arch above is always one small round window. The frieze at the height of the reservoir is likewise divided into ten relieving arches, separated by pilasters. This rests on a stepped round-arched frieze. The rectangular relieving arches are covered by a dentil moulding, each tooth consisting of a masoned projecting course carried by a head. The relieving arches are provided with two coupled round-arched windows.

INTERIOR The fresh water cellar is located below ground level. Above it the tower has two plastered storey floors, executed as barrel vaults in yellow Yssel brick with iron profile beams. In the north-south direction the tower is divided into two by a cross wall, which like the internal masonry of the tower is finished with whitened plasterwork. On the ground floor the upper part of the masonry is executed as imitation rustication work. The cross wall has on the ground floor two large round-arched openings. The staircase to the first floor is a richly ornamented cast-iron spiral staircase. On either side of the cross wall is on the floor a wooden staircase with wrought-iron balustrade placed, which are connected to each other by landings in round-arched openings. On the second floor the attic floor serves as a leakage floor. The iron beams, which support the base of the riveted iron flat-bottom reservoir, are supported at the ends by the outer wall and the aforementioned cross wall. The reservoir has a diameter of 11 metres and a capacity of 1200 m3. The wooden roof truss structure is braced by cast-iron corbels with circular motif.

Valuation

The water tower with its associated interior is of general importance for its architectural and cultural-historical value as a representative example of a water tower from the last quarter of the 19th century in Neo-Romanesque style, whereby water from the river was obtained.

The water tower with its associated interior is of general importance for its architectural-historical values as a representative example from the oldest generation of water towers, heavy broad towers with iron flat-bottom reservoirs, without pronounced projection at the location of the reservoir. Moreover, the water tower occupies an essential place within the body of work of architect J. Schotel, an important representative and specialist in the field of water towers.

The exterior of the water tower is largely intact with respect to main form, material and detailing. In the interior too, the principal components have been well preserved.

From an urban design perspective, the water tower is important because of its visually dominant siting on the Schielandse Hoge Zeedijk, on the IJssel bank, just outside the centre of Gouda.