De Utrecht

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.

On the eastern side of the Lage Mierdseweg stands, at some distance from the road, the former HOLIDAY HOUSE Rustoord. The building was constructed by the Life Insurance Company 'De Utrecht' for the staff of that firm between 1920 and 1922, so that they could spend their holidays on the young estate 'De Utrecht'. It has a Traditionalist style with historicising elements. Around 1935 the holiday house was extended on the north-western side with a wing in keeping with the style. The architect of both the house and the later addition is the Hilversum-based W.H. Hanrath. The holiday house functioned as such until around 1965. Later, part of the building was used as a residential house for state police officers. Within the protection falls the original holiday house with caretaker's dwelling and extension from around 1935.

Description.

The two-storey, partially cellared building consists of a main building (the holiday house) with an adjacent outbuilding situated on the north-eastern side (the former caretaker's dwelling) and a wing situated on the north-western side (with dining room and bedrooms) from circa 1935. The main building has a composite broken hipped roof with improved Dutch tiles and is crowned by a roof turret with clock and weather vane (with embossed letter U), flanked by two chimneys. The single-storey caretaker's dwelling has a curved gabled roof and the later, two-storey north-western wing is covered by a gabled roof with end-shield. The main building has a symmetrical, broadly square floor plan, which on the northern and southern sides is enclosed by a pair of wings broadly rectangular in plan. On the ground floor of the building the principal rooms are accommodated: the dining room with broad veranda is flanked on the south by the conversation room and apartment (with private sitting room, bedroom and bathroom), and on the north by the billiards room, pantry and kitchen. At the rear (the eastern side) of the building is the vestibule with hall, flanked by toilet groups and office. The first floor and the attic floor, separated by fir-wood floor joists, are entirely taken up by bedrooms (originally 28 plus two in the caretaker's dwelling), while above the hall at the rear of the building are situated the staircase with adjoining toilets and bathrooms.

Notable is that the south-eastern bedroom is the only one on the first floor furnished with a sitting room and a private balcony.

The facades are built in brick. Thresholds, lintels, corner stones and the bands of the balustrades are executed in Escauzijnse stone. The southern and northern facades are strikingly articulated by the numerous bay windows. Against the western facade the bay windows at the corners are carried through as projections over two storeys. The masonry between these structural bodies is on the ground floor almost entirely occupied by four bay windows. Central to the facade are two French doors each with six-pane windows, which provide access to the veranda. Against the southern facade stand two substantial bay windows with centrally placed two sets of eight-pane French doors opening onto the terraces situated here. Notable is how the architecture fits optimally with the landscape: to the west extends through the adjoining park the broad sight-line, while on the southern side the bay windows provide views of the pond situated here. On the ground floor, in both front and rear facades, which each have eleven window bays, coupled French doors with six panes and two-pane fanlights are placed. On the first floor there are coupled French doors with six panes.

On the first floor the western facade between the corner bay windows has a recessed balcony, situated above the dining room, with partly wrought-iron railwork. This balcony is accessible from the bedrooms. The northern facade is partially broken through and obscured from view by the addition from circa 1935. The eastern rear facade is articulated over two storeys by a straight-sided three-storey central and two two-storey corner projections.

The southern projection projects further and has a balcony on the first floor. In the central projection a wooden panelled door set in sober moulding provides access to the hall behind.

The former caretaker's dwelling on the north-eastern side is separated from the main building by a single-storey scullery and storage shed under a flat roof. The dwelling has a nearly square floor plan, with a single-storey three-sided enclosed bay window against the eastern facade. The facades are built in brick. Central to the gable is a window composed of three six-pane panes, which is flanked by simple wooden cladding. The layout of the former dwelling and in particular the eastern facade was altered during the renovation of around 1935. At that time a two-storey wing with rectangular floor plan was placed against the northern facade of the main building. It probably concerns the new dining room combined with banqueting hall, with on the first floor and attic floor a series of new bedrooms. The eastern facade of the building has five window bays and, like the main building, a balcony along the full length of the first floor.

As regards detailing (brickwork, windows, roof dormers) it follows closely the existing building.

Interiorly the original layout in broad lines has been maintained throughout the building, but during modernisations around 1950-'60 the detailing (including ceilings, wainscotting, marble fireplace of conversation room and sitting room etc.) has almost entirely disappeared. In the dining room stand four reinforced concrete columns, which carry the masonry above. In the office a safe. The hall with staircase has straight flights of stairs. The cellars, which are accessible inter alia via a staircase situated at the rear of the building, have brick barrel vaults with steel beams, brick floors and stairs. The roof truss structure above the ceiling consists of fir-wood roof trusses.

The park in landscape style surrounds the main building and consists principally of coniferous trees. Of importance are the two solitary cedars in front of the western facade and the pond to the south of the holiday house.

Valuation.

The holiday house with surrounding garden layout is of general importance. It has cultural-historical value as an expression of the socio-economic development of agriculture and recreation in the Netherlands, in particular the large-scale reclamation of wastelands in the twentieth century and as an example of the typological development of the country retreat.

Architecturally the building is of importance because of the style and ornamentation adapted to the surrounding landscape, it is of importance within the oeuvre of architect W.H. Hanrath. It has ensemble values as an essential component of a larger whole, the estate 'De Utrecht'. The whole is important because of the integrity of the exterior and interior and is rare as an example of a holiday house on a reclaimed estate.