Woonhuis, Harlingerstraatweg 29

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 Harlingerstraatweg 29 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 a building kit 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. On the drawing the roof at the front is curved; executed are gable tops with substantially overhanging gabled roofs. Moreover all dwellings received at the side near the rear rooms trapezium-shaped bay windows with balconies for the upper storey. These may be modifications by Scheltema. The construction sum of the villas prefabricated in Austria and transported to the building site in elements was, including transport costs, per unit slightly more than f 9000,-. Inside, the dwelling has been mainly rebuilt on the ground floor; the exterior is still virtually intact.

Description

EXTERIOR: The villa is built in timber frame with wooden walls. The mainly horizontal wooden parts, slotted together with tongue and groove, are incorporated in stile and rail work. With the substantially overhanging gabled roof the villa has a distinctly exotic Chalet style.

The dwelling has a rectangular floor plan and is two full storeys and a spacious roof high, at the rear over the full width a volume of one storey with a lean-to roof has been added, in which the conservatory (called 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 In the original rear facade three windows with small glazing bars and a glass door have been replaced by a glass wall.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 overhangs on front and rear and is covered with red, corrugated Frisian tiles. On the roof slopes on both sides are fairly closed wooden dormer windows with small cross windows. At the front on the ground floor is in the middle a trapezium-shaped bay window built out, on which for the upper storeys a balcony came. Similarly at the side of the rear room such a bay window with balcony has been built out. In the gable tops the wooden parts are worked vertically in the tops and the sides. Front and rear facades are opened with spacious windows, below sash windows with fanlights provided with cross glazing bars. On the upper storey are two-light windows with small glazing bar division; the balcony doors are flanked by simple windows of this type. Here they are provided with shutters. The side facades have an irregular articulation with large and small windows, likewise provided 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. Now the walls are dark brown; the stile and rail work is white and the window frames, windows, shutters and doors white/dark green. That approach in broad outline is lively detailed in components. 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 water drainage, which in most dwellings are painted in contrasting colours. In the front gable top square ornaments standing upright are applied at the sides on the point and in the top similar ornaments which received a small pane.

INTERIOR: The dwelling layout on the ground floor originally consists at the front of a small vestibule, a hall where the stairwell and cloakroom/toilet open out. The vestibule has been removed and incorporated with the corridor. Next to the entrance area is a broad front parlour. The suite wall has disappeared, but the spatial layout can still be experienced because the rear room is slightly narrower. The rear room originally opened towards the conservatory with again suite doors between cupboards; these too have disappeared and the space incorporated with the rear room. Next to the rear room is a spacious kitchen with pantry and behind it, in the extension, the scullery. The remarkably easy, lazy staircase leads to the upper storey; the staircase is, like the landing and the staircase to the second storey, provided with railings with balusters. On the upper storey three bedrooms are housed; 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. On the upper storey the original panel doors are still present. Under the roof are two bedrooms with built-in cupboards on one of the sides and a small room.

ASSESSMENT

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

- because of the, for that time, rarely occurring timber system construction imported from abroad, which probably relates to the scarcity and high cost of brick material;

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

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