Marnixschool

English translation

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Description

Introduction

SCHOOL BUILDING established in 1883 as a Public Elementary School of the third class for Boys on the Marnixstraat at the Brouwersgracht, the Marnixschool, designed by Public Works in the Eclectic style with influences of Neo-Renaissance. Located at the beginning of the Marnixstraat, at a bend in the Marnixkade, with a schoolyard/playground located at that bend facing the Singelgracht.

Description

School building on an L-shaped ground plan with two storeys under a complex of gabled roofs with inset roof sections covered with blue-grey flat tiles. Built facades in brown brick in alternating header and stretcher courses and on a plinth with ventilation grilles. Decorative use of red and yellow brick at spandrels, dentils, bands, gable cornices, frieze and on round masonry crowning of gable tops and shoulders, so-called small turrets. Wall anchors (ornamental) and decorative use of natural stone on the bulbous terminals of the masonry crowning and gable cornices. The facades have partly straight terminations and are partly closed off with gables featuring round windows with three-lobed openings. A continuous corniced gable cornice rests on classically inspired consoles. The ground floor windows are placed under slightly arched dentils with keystones; the windows of the classrooms are taller than those of the utility spaces and teachers' rooms and have a multi-pane articulated frame with a tilting window at both the top and bottom. The first-storey windows have similar frames under spandrel under a depressed arch. A number of windows, in particular several lower-tilting windows, are infilled. The schoolyard is formed by the two wings, one on the Marnixstraat and one with the short facade on the Marnixkade, and an enclosing wall with gateway. The facade on the Marnixstraat has a projecting left section with stepped gable and entrance section with tall four-pane fanlight and flanking narrow four-pane windows; further a storey with tripartite window section. On the right side a building section placed at right angles to the wing and slightly projecting in relation to the facade on the Marnixstraat, with three stepped gables with a masonry balustrade between them. Intermediate building section of six bays also containing classrooms. The wing with the short side on the Marnixkade is likewise terminated by such a transversely placed building section with (two) stepped gables. Here too an intermediate section for the classrooms six bays wide. Balustrade above the gable termination in the corner of the wings. Roof dormers with trapezoidal window, zinc cladding and ridge tile. The schoolyard is surrounded by a quarter-round running masonry wall with pilasters and plinth and an entrance with gateway in the centre with double wooden door under spandrel with inscription in natural stone MARNIXSCHOOL and at gable top similar termination including round masonry crown.

Valuation

Former elementary school of the third class for boys of general importance for its architectural-historical and typological value. Of importance for the history of education and - at least in exterior - as a well-preserved example from 1883 of the government-built school buildings. The prominent siting at the beginning of the Marnixstraat and Marnixkade forms an important added value.