Woonhuis, Engelsestraat 4

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 Engelsestraat 4 forming part of a COMPLEX of ten villas in timber-frame construction, Harlingerstraatweg 29-41 and Engelsestraat 2-6, built in the winter of 1922-'23 in the Chalet style. The developer was K. Wits, director of the N.V. Maatschappij tot huizenexploitatie Frisia and J. Scheltema the executing and supervising architect. The dwellings were obtained as building packages from Austria, for Leeuwarden an early example of standard construction for this type of dwelling. The design was supplied by the manufacturer, the 'Vereinigte Möbel- & Holtzwarenfabriken u. Sägewerke Schönthaler - Silva' from Vienna. However, compared to the drawing of the building application, some modifications took place. In the drawing the roof at the front is rounded; executed are stepped gables with a substantial projecting gabled roof. Moreover most of the dwellings received at the side of the rear rooms trapezium-shaped bay windows with balconies for the upper storey; otherwise the second balcony came on the conservatory at the rear. These may be modifications by Scheltema. The build sum for the villas prefabricated in Austria and transported in elements to the building site amounted, including transport costs, to slightly more than f 9000,- per unit. On the interior the dwelling is particularly on the ground floor much altered; the exterior is still virtually intact.

Description

EXTERIOR: The villa is built in timber-frame with wooden walls. The predominantly horizontal wooden parts, fitted together with tongue and groove, are incorporated in a framework of vertical and horizontal members. With the substantial projecting gabled roof the villa has a distinctly foreign Chalet style.

The dwelling has a rectangular floor plan and is two full storeys and a spacious roof space high; at the rear over the full width a one-storey volume with a lean-to roof has been added, in which the conservatory (called a veranda in the design) and the scullery are housed. In the original rear facade three windows with small glazing bars and a glass door have been replaced by a glass wall. The gabled roof has substantial projections on front and rear and is covered with red, corrugated Frisian tiles. On the roof slopes on both sides stand fairly closed, wooden roof dormers with small cross windows. At the front on the ground floor in the middle a trapezium-shaped bay window projects, above which for the upper storeys comes a balcony. Also at the side of the rear room a modern bay window projects. In the gable tops the wooden parts are worked vertically in the apex and the sides. Front and rear facades are opened with ample windows, below sash windows with fanlights fitted with cross glazing bars. On the upper storey stand two-light windows with small glazing bar divisions; the balcony doors are flanked by single windows of this type. Here they are fitted with shutters. The side facades have an irregular articulation with large and small windows, likewise fitted with small glazing bar divisions. In a number of dwellings the glazing bar divisions have disappeared, but all still have the fanlights with cross glazing bars.

On the coloured design drawing the woodwork is indicated in light brown and dark beige; old (black and white) photographs suggest that the dwelling was indeed painted in mid-tones. Currently the walls are dark brown; the framework is white and the frames, windows, shutters and doors white/dark green. This approach in broad strokes is lively in detailed parts. The balconies have flat, vase-shaped balusters and balls on the fence posts. In the front gable top the vertical parts end in disc shapes, possibly for the drip edge, which in most dwellings are painted in contrast. In the front gable top square ornaments standing on the point are attached at the sides and at the apex similar ornaments which received a diamond pane.

INTERIOR: The dwelling layout on the ground floor originally consists at the front of a small vestibule, a hall where staircase and cloakroom/toilet open out. The vestibule has been removed and connected with the passage. Next to the entrance area lies a broad front parlour. The suite opening has disappeared, but the spatial arrangement can still be experienced because the rear room is somewhat narrower. The rear room originally opened onto the conservatory with again suite doors between cupboards; those too have disappeared and the space pulled into the rear room. Next to the rear room lies a spacious kitchen with pantry and behind it, in the addition, the scullery. The remarkably easy, lazy stair leads to the upper storey; the stair is like the landing and the stair to the second storey provided with railings with balusters. On the upper storey three bedrooms are arranged; the two which lie in line with each other originally had a connecting door in a cupboard wall. The partition wall with connection has been altered. In most of the dwellings the original panelled doors are still present on the upper storey. Under the roof are two bedrooms with built-in cupboards on one of the sides and a small room.

APPRAISAL

The wooden villa is of general historical, architectural and urban design importance

- because of the rarely occurring imported wooden system construction for that time, which probably relates to the scarcity and expense of brick material;

- because of the thereby in the existing architectural image remarkably exotic Chalet Style of the externally intact, internally mostly adapted dwellings;

- as an element in the lively, but not restless urban grouping of the ten villas on and near a spacious crossroads.