De Standaard

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

Built in 1912-1913 OFFICE BUILDING with WAREHOUSE on behalf of N.V. Elberfelder Handels- en Exportmaatschappij, to a design by architect Jac. Duncker in a Transition architecture with influences of Rationalism and Eclecticism. The building has the front facade on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal and the rear facade on the Spuistraat. Some revisions to Duncker's drawings were carried out by architect A. Biebricher; in Duncker's design drawing the building had different window forms and entrance arrangement and ornamental vases in place of the neo-classical figures at the level of the upper storey. In 1916-1917 a conversion took place on behalf of N.V. Drukkerij De Standaard under the supervision of architects De Vlugt and Domhof, after which it was occupied in 1918 by the editorial office and printing works of that newspaper. De Standaard was founded in 1872 as the principal organ of the anti-revolutionaries. Abraham Kuyper led the publication from the first volume until his death in 1920 (with interruption in the years 1901-1905). Thereafter H. Colijn was principal editor for some periods of the newspaper of the Christian men's association. During the occupation years the newspaper was banned for a long time and after liberation it did not re-emerge as a daily paper. The journal Trouw moved into the building in 1945. In the sixties the printing works Holland established itself in the building.

Description

Building on a parallelogram-shaped ground plan with a small light-well halfway along the northern boundary. The building on Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal has a ground floor and a higher first floor (= main floor) a second and third floor above and finally two lower floors all under a hipped roof with tiles. Brick facade in brown stone in patois bond. Use was made of natural stone for the stoep, the plinth and facade lists. The entrance arrangement is, like the composite windows of the lower shop front, clad with bronze plating, with the bronze plates fastened to the wooden components with small nails. The facade is symmetrically composed and three bays wide. In the plinth are the window openings to the basement. A stoep with four steps leads to the entrance arrangement with door with circular tracery, side-lights, flanking pilasters with cassettes and a semi-circular radially glazed fanlight in a serliana beneath three coupled six-paned windows. The tall composite and multi-paned glazed windows on either side span ground floor and main floor. Noteworthy are the traditionally executed glazing-bar windows with drip-strips. Likewise tall and multi-paned glazed and composite windows span the second and third floors; these windows have some panelled areas and simple grille work with fenêtres à terre at the bottom. Beneath the drip moulding between third and fourth floor on the frieze in bronze letters: DE STANDAARD. The windows of the fourth and fifth floors are glazed and less tall; the upper ones have fenêtres à terre. Between the fourth and fifth floors there is another facade list that runs across the southern side facade. On the corners and between the windows are, on a brick pedestal with natural stone slab capping, a total of four free-standing sandstone male and female figures. Straight gable termination with profiled gutter line, above which a copper fillet. Against the left roof slope a small roof-light with copper cladding and round window with square glazing-bar pattern, and a later addition. The building on Spuistraat has above the basement a low ground floor, a tall first floor (= main floor) and five further floors. The facades are also here laid in patois bond, in a dark stone. Use was made of natural stone for the plinth and facade lists. The building has a straight gable termination with profiled gutter line and flat roof. On the division between the window series of the ground floor/main floor, first and second floor use was made of decoratively laid brickwork. The facade at ground floor level is four bays wide, with on the right side the simple rear entrance with double wooden doors. The adjacent windows have wrought-iron grille work at the two nine-paned lower windows. Windows and doors have above the calf a cross window with four nine-paned windows. On the right side the building above the main floor and to the width of one bay is set back; originally a stairwell was located in this part. The windows on the second, third and fourth floors have a central post and two nine-paned windows; the windows on the fifth and sixth floors have a central post and two six-paned windows. The windows are partly fitted with three-paned tumble windows. The facade lists run through the side facades; it is noteworthy that with the recently built boundary on the left side this wrapping of the list in the brickwork has been maintained. On the frieze beneath the list between the third and fourth floors: -DRUKKERIJ HOLLAND-.

Evaluation

Office building with warehouse from 1912-1913 of general importance owing to its architectural-historical and typological value. Notably the period of 1918-1945, when De Standaard was located here - to which names such as Abraham Kuyper and H. Colijn are connected - constitutes an added value in the field of cultural history and the history of the daily press.