Bankgebouw, Herengracht 179 A

English translation

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Description

Introduction

A BANK BUILDING with FENCE as boundary erected in 1900-1902, built on commission of the Associatie Cassa and designed by architect C.B. Posthumus Meyjes, in a Berlage-influenced variant of the Nieuwe Kunst.

Description

Bank building erected on a ground plan in the shape of a parallelogram consisting of a basement, two storeys and a mezzanine beneath a transversely placed gabled roof, covered with grey-blue slate in Maas covering. The 38 metre long front facade is built entirely of hard stone and tufa stone and comprises seven bays of varying width. The middle section of four bays is flanked by two wider bays with at the far left a bay crowned by a pointed gable with entrance part and on the right a bay crowned by a spout gable, followed at the far right a narrow corner bay with tower-shaped termination beneath a hipped roof covered with slate with a finial in the form of a cross flower. On the ridge line furthermore four small plastered chimneys with overhanging coping. Four small roof dormers with double window beneath inset lean-to roofs.

In front of the building stands a row of natural stone bollards with ornamental ironwork fencing. At street level the facade above the plinth shows the rusticated zone of the basement closed off by natural stone drip moulding. Series of each two basement windows with heavy grillwork and at the far right a double wooden panelled door beneath a five-sided pediment. Air grilles at the lower side of the door. The main entrance at a simple stoop of two steps in the left bay consists of a portico framed by a squat polished column with base and Corinthian capital, which carries a profiled segmental arch with neck and voussoir stones. Continuous profiled moulding. Above the entrance part an aedicula with three narrow windows and a pediment on corbels. On both sides of the entrance part a narrow single window with quarter-round chamfers, natural stone sill and ornamental ironwork grilles, above it a smaller window with lower and upper sills. On the storey a broad triple-divided window with square fanlights. In the mezzanine a triple-divided window with fanlights and on both sides a window; natural stone accents at the intersections of strut and post, decorative lattice work. At the top a coupled window beneath a semicircular spandrel with year indication (MDCCCVI) in the midst of floral motifs. The spout gable has elaborate guttering reservoirs; the top is decorated with small columns on socle with banded ornament and a central profiled cornice.

To the right of the entrance part in the middle section at the level of the main storey four large multi-divided windows with fanlights and lower and upper sills; grilles for the windows and a small air grille beneath and next to it a larger window with natural stone accent above the posts or mullions. At the far right - in the 'tower' - a horizontally divided narrow window. On the storey in the middle section a series of four slightly arched multi-divided windows with fanlights provided with decorated voussoir stones, depicting an owl, an eagle, a pelican and a rooster. On the right side a broad four-fold divided window of which the middle two divisions are drawn up higher. At the far right again a small window. In the mezzanine in the middle section a row of four coupled windows beneath a straight facade termination and an ornamented gutter box on corbels or consoles. On the right side centrally a four-fold divided window beneath a semicircular spandrel with in the midst of floral motifs the year indication (MCMII). On both sides of this a small window. Furthermore a small pointed gable termination with continuous columns on socles and a profiled crown. Open-worked natural stone balustrade. At the far right the simple tower structure with three lancet windows at the front. Moulding on corbels.

INTERIOR. Stairwell with original wooden handrail with ornamental ironwork grilles. Leaded glass window filling and floors of tesserae and granito. Also further tilework in geometric patterns.

Plastered panels in barrel vaults and overdoor sections with Mercury attributes. Marble floors. Distinctive spiral staircase.

Valuation

Bank building with associated interior of general importance for its architectural-historical value. Furthermore of typological importance, as well as of importance as a distinctive expression of an economic development. Front facade has been reasonably well preserved.