Museum, Plantage Kerklaan bij 36

English translation

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Description

Introduction

Former Ethnographic Museum (10), built in 1886 to an eclectic design by A.L. van Gendt, part of the Artis complex. The ethnographic collection was housed in the spacious rooms of the first floor. Later the Ethnographic Museum disappeared from Artis and was transferred to the Tropeninstituut. In 1923 the Zoological Laboratory of the University of Amsterdam was established here. The building was then renovated by B.J. Ouëndag. An auditorium, lecture halls and a residence for the amanuensis were created. Currently the upper storeys house various offices of Artis, the Artis studio and a modern nocturnal animal enclosure on the ground floor. The museum stands on the eastern half of the park, with its short side gable along the northern boundary and extends across the park.

NB. Previously a warehouse "De Volharding" stood here, used as a cattle barn from 1867 onwards.

Description

Building constructed on an elongated rectangular floor plan with three storeys and roof structure. The former museum consists of a central pavilion, two side wings and two corner pavilions, respectively 3, 7 and 1 bay wide. The symmetrical facades of the free-standing building are strongly articulated both horizontally and vertically. The whole stands on a natural stone plinth. The facades of the ground floor are executed in fair-faced brickwork in reddish-brown bricks in stretcher bond, alternating with brick courses and window surrounds of natural stone. The facade sections above are finished with painted render. The wings are closed with a blunt gabled roof with guttering. On the ridge line, on either side of the central pavilion, there is a short wooden structure for ventilation. Ventilation grilles with louvres and small tent roof as closure. Several roof windows in the gable panels. The central pavilion is closed with a truncated hipped roof with curved hips. The hips are covered with shingles. Profiled gutter line and reinforced ribs of the hip rafters. Above the cornice that closes the facade of the central pavilion is still a solid balustrade with cassettes and profiled moulding. The corner pavilions have, in addition to sloping hips on both sides, a central tent roof with curved hips. Above this a short wooden structure with cornice. Covered with shingles and reinforced on the ribs. Above the cornice that closes the corner pavilion is still a solid balustrade as described. The central section of the short side facade extends higher and is discussed later. At the corner pavilion on the north side a tall brick chimney with iron rod. The SE facade has a projecting central pavilion. Ground floor as brick plinth zone. Two small windows on either side of the access section located in a portico. Coupled Tuscan columns on both sides within it. String course above which centrally a window under a Serliana. Balustrade, pairs of half-columns, decorative moulding and rusticated spandrels. To the left and right of this section facade surfaces with natural stone blocks imitated in stucco and fantasy pilasters of colossal order. Small openings in the facade surface. Above a cornice a tall frieze with corresponding short pilasters between which profiled fields with round cassettes. Between the 'capitals' there is also a dentil moulding. Above a broad cornice is then the breastwork as described at the roof. The facade surface of the side facades is divided by means of pilasters. On the ground floor simple door opening with arched window above the head of the door. To the left and right of this window a narrower window. Windows have metal glazing bars. Stone headers above the windows. Brick pilasters provide the articulation of this storey. Above the string course these are continued by the rendered pilasters of colossal order. Between these pilasters cross windows in profiled frame and with cornice. Above such a window a series of three coupled windows with semicircular fanlights. Above these the blocks of the gutter line. In the facades of the corner pavilions only one window. Generally the facade surfaces consist of natural stone imitation in render. The pilasters are flatly rendered. On the NW side there is likewise such a facade. On the SW side and the NE side are the short facades with central projection. These function as the front facade of the corner pavilions. On the ground floor again the brick facade section. In the central projection there is a central access section with double door. Further small square and simple windows. Above the string course an accentuated window in Serliana as described at the SE facade. Cornice on blocks above which to the left and right sections of the breastwork. In the centre a higher extended section with four squat pilasters and decorative moulding. In the centre a dial of a clock. Closing cornice and gutter line.

Valuation

Former Ethnographic Museum dating from 1886 of general importance due to architectural and cultural-historical value and as a historically-functional component of the Artis complex.