Vroom & Dreesman

English translation

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Description

Introduction

Former DEPARTMENT STORE built in 1921 and 1932 for Vroom & Dreesmann in Expressionist style, designed by the company architect F.M.J. Caron.

The department store consists mainly of two sections: a main building on the corner of Karrestraat/Nieuwstraat from 1921 and an extension from 1932 on the Nieuwstraat. Around 1965 the department store was connected via an underground passage in the street to Nieuwstraat 5-9. Following the most recent renovation in 1996 the department store became part of the new shopping and residential complex "de Barones", situated between the Karrestraat, Eindstraat, Brugstraat and Nieuwstraat. In this process the exterior and interior of the 1932 extension were largely lost. The extensions to the department store from 1932 and 1965 are not included in the protection.

Description

The department store has a rectangular floor plan with five storeys under a flat roof with roof terrace and partly roof hipped ends on the street side. The lowest storey is the basement which lies entirely below street level. The fifth storey forms a tower-like superstructure at the corner of both streets. Originally a wooden tower spire stood on it. The shop window frame on the ground floor and the fifth storey is bevelled at the corner. The front or east facade on the Karrestraat is divided into three bays; it contains in the middle the main public entrance with two balconies above it. The side or south facade on the Nieuwstraat is divided into five bays. On this side is located the service entrance.

The richly executed brick pilasters and wall openings give the facades a distinctive character. At the corner the pilasters ornamented with decorative brickwork with projecting heads, the balcony and the two- and three-storey-high two-sided bay windows create a tower-like expression.

The building has internally a concrete skeleton which partly continues and is visible in the lower shop front. The load-bearing outer facade is of brickwork. The walling consists of a lower shop front faced with dressed and polished Norwegian granite, above it brickwork of yellow machine-made brick laid in cross bond alternated by stones of sandstone. In various pilasters brick edges with rose motifs. Renewed shop front of brown anodized aluminium. On the upper storeys wall openings partly with concrete lintels. Wooden frames and steel rods windows provided with leaded glass with geometric motifs of clear cathedral glass with a yellow border all round.

Internally a central stairwell with small inserted mezzanine.

Valuation

The department store is of general importance. It has cultural-historical values: it is important as a distinctive expression of the socio-economic development of Breda as a shopping town; it is important as a distinctive expression of the typological development of the large-scale retail business in the interwar period. The object has architectural-historical values: it is important because of the rich execution of the stylistic forms and the distinctive design of the corner solution for the history of architecture; it is important as an example of the oeuvre of architect F.M.J. Caron; it is important because of the distinctive use of materials. Ensemble values: the object has special significance because of its location at a street corner in the centre, and through the corner solution and the associated sight lines is connected with the development of the city. Rarity: the object is important as a rare example of a richly detailed department store.