Vaartzicht

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

VILLA built by Jurjen Bruns in 1874 in Eclectic style on the commission of mr Bernardus Hopperus Buma at the place where the Wirdumervaart flows into the Potmarge (National monument number 24503), surrounded by a once royal garden, of which the pond, the boat house and other buildings have disappeared after the establishment of the horticultural auction. In the same year in which Buma had villa Vaartzicht built, he commissioned Bruns to demolish the medieval Burmaniahuis on the Nieuwestad and to have a large modern mansion built in its place, so that he could compete with wealthy gentlemen from the Golden Age, who also often possessed a town house and a country estate. Villa Vaartzicht shows great similarity to the Burmaniahuis in its fittings.

Description

Detached VILLA, in Eclectic Style with fittings mainly derived from classicism. The building is a rich variant of the type of rentier dwellings and village parsonages of five bays wide with an emphasized central section. The building has a nearly square ground plan with one and partly two storeys above a basement with an abated hipped roof. It is constructed of brown manganese stone, the roof is covered with flat Frisian tiles. The main facade has a sandstone basement. The middle bay projects strongly and is developed over two storeys in a tower-like manner and provided with a gently sloping gabled roof with large overhang carried by corbels. The risalit has on the first storey blocked corner pilasters with list capitals and on the upper floor pilasters with recessed panels with Corinthian capitals. A six-step high external staircase of sandstone leads to the double door in moulded frame with hood moulding. Above it is a balcony, which rests on heavy decorative corbels and a cast-iron railing. The balcony doors have again a moulded frame with a hood moulding in the middle. Above this the name 'Vaartzicht' is displayed. Under the roof edge runs a semi-circular frieze. On the roof stand acroteria and roof crests. The remaining facade bays have rectangular T-windows with stretched cock-combs. These and the other facades are set off on either side and above with stuccoed bands with recessed panels. The service entrance on the rear side is placed in a risalit with a low ground floor and a high upper floor. The entrance is provided with a decorative door, which originates from elsewhere. INTERIOR: The interior is symmetrical over the east-west axis, but the symmetry over the north-south axis suggested on the outside does not exist internally. The spacious staircase hall is lit by a large octagonal skylight, which is provided with ornamental glass and with a heavy moulded frame also forms an important decorative element of this space. The layout of the house remains in original condition, but the decorative furnishings with stucco on the ceilings, the panelling, the fireplaces, the French doors to the terrace and other elements have disappeared.

Valuation

VILLA of general architectural-historical and cultural-historical importance:

- because of the rich architecture in Eclectic style;

- as an important work of architect J.D. Bruns;

- because of the refined decoration of the exterior;

- as a counterpart to the town residence, which Buma had built by the same architect at the same time;

- as the last representative of the type 'grand country estate' in the municipality of Leeuwarden;

- because of the location on the Potmarge at the mouth of the Wirdumervaart.