Kerk, Bloemgracht 98

English translation

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Description

Introduction

CHURCH built in 1880 on the north side of the Bloemgracht. Building permission was granted on 22 April 1880, and construction was completed on 17 December. The client was the Building Committee of the Christian Reformed Congregation. Despite its very late construction date, the architectural style of the church is classified as William II Gothic. The front facade shows in its main forms and principal decoration and ornament important similarities with the front facade of the Church of Our Lady built in 1854 on the Keizersgracht 220 (St. Alphonsus of the Redemptorists) by the architect Th. Molkenboer. Currently in use by the Restored Apostolic Mission Church.

Description

Hall church built on a rectangular ground plan and covered with a gabled roof with red tiles. The description now continues only with the front facade on the Bloemgracht. Facade built of red brick; strongly articulated vertically by robust lisenes projecting strongly from the wall surface. These lisenes rest on a blue-grey natural stone plinth and are constructed from natural stone blocks. At ground floor level, the lisenes show a recessed profile plane on either side of the central entrance. Natural stone blocks have bevelled corners here and there. Between the 'storeys', the lisenes have a projecting moulded piece with bevelled surface. Further upward, the blocks are billetted. On the corners and above the eaves line, profiled blocks with a natural stone pinnacle with small tower cap and profiled surfaces. Natural stone and profiled eaves line with a moulded stepped round-arch frieze below. A string course allows the central bay to end in a three-sided termination. Within it round-arch frieze with narrow spandrels. Centrally two slender half-columns with arch; further covering plates and ridge piece with tower spire on four slender columns.

At street level, centrally the main entrance feature with double wooden door with wrought-iron fittings and hinges. Semi-circular fanlight with semi-circular and circular tracery; further leaded glass window infill. Projecting plastered pediment follows the arched fanlight and is terminated by a natural stone cornice and rests on two free-standing whitewashed columns. Both to the left and right a single entrance door in the same execution with semi-circular fanlight with lancet-form tracery. Centrally a large multi-membered and arched window with leaded glass window infill and rose tracery in the rounding. Obliquely-placed natural stone bottom sill, profiled and moulded jambs. On either side a smaller similar window. Now three-foil motif in the rounding. At the rounding of these windows an encircling moulded and slightly projecting band.

N.B. In 1927 a renovation took place. In the building, a floor of reinforced concrete was installed at ground floor level. Constructor and authorised representative was A.F. Baak. The work was carried out by C. Korff jr. The client was Joh. G. Kalwij, chairman of the Association "De Apostolische Kas" in Amsterdam.

Valuation

Church building of general interest because of its architectural-historical value as a late example of a church built in William II Gothic. The object is further of interest as a particular expression of spiritual development. The front facade of the church building has been well preserved and has a strong image-determining function.