Kerk, Oostzijde 82

English translation

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Description

Introduction

CHURCH built in the years 1860-1861 as a Mennonite place of worship to an eclectic design by architect L.J. Immink and since 1953 owned by the Apostolic Church. The brick church stands on the corner of the Oostzijde and Belgische straat.

Description

The church is an octagonal central structure with hard stone clad plinth, built in red brick in Flemish bond on various points interspersed with hard stone, and consisting of a high core under shallow-pitched mastic-covered pavilion roof with ridge tiles and a lower ambulatory under shallow-pitched mastic-covered lean-to roofs. The masonry of core and ambulatory is articulated by fluted corners and pilasters which are connected beneath the cornices by arch friezes. The springing points of the arch friezes consist of small red corbels in natural stone. The north and south facade surfaces of the octagonal ambulatory have a pediment-like facade termination. The building has on the front (W) a caretaker's residence in a rectangular extension of two storeys under a shallow-pitched half-hipped roof with Philibert roof trusses that meet the central structure at one point. The rear (E) has an originally identical extension with a vestry room, which was enlarged in 1923.

The facade surfaces of the higher middle section each have a series of three narrow round-arched windows. The facade surfaces of the ambulatory have, with the exception of the front and rear, a tall and wide round-arched window. Beneath these windows is a string course. Below this, the ground floor in six facade surfaces of the ambulatory has a double wooden door in an identical broad natural stone surround. The doors in the two facade surfaces with pediment-like termination have lower doors with calf panels and three-pane fanlight. The six remaining facade surfaces have a small high-placed window on either side of the entrance area.

The caretaker's residence is a rectangular extension of two storeys on the front with a facade width of three window bays, a string course at the level of the floor, projecting corners in natural stone on the first storey and fluted corners on the upper floor. The masonry is finished beneath the cornice by an arch frieze. In the central bay on the ground floor an arched double wooden panelled door in a broad natural stone surround. On either side of it and in both side facades is an arched T-window. The upper floor has on the front three twelve-pane round-arched windows, the two side facades each have such a window. The single-storey extension on the rear has on the outside an ornamental tooth frieze with below it in the side facade four sash windows and in the rear facade three such examples.

The interior of the church - which is well-preserved from gallery height - is determined by the central octagonal church space around which the other functions are grouped. The church space has in each corner a roof truss that runs against an oculus. The fields between are polychrome and provided with some texts and leaf motifs. The space has across seven facade divisions a continuous gallery with an ascending seating plan. Beneath this gallery are two original spiral staircases.

The roof of the caretaker's residence has Philibert roof trusses which meet the facade of the church at one point.

Valuation

Former Mennonite church building of general importance because of its cultural and architectural-historical value as a well-designed example of mid-19th-century Protestant church architecture. The church has situational value because of its image-defining location on a street corner in the centre of Zaandam.