Woonhuis, Harlingerstraatweg 37

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 37 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. In the drawing the roof at the front is arched; executed are gabled roofs with substantial overhang. Moreover all dwellings received at the side near the back rooms trapezoidal bay windows with balconies for the upper storey. These may be modifications by Scheltema. The building cost of the villas, prefabricated in Austria and transported to the building site in elements, amounted, including transport costs, to somewhat more than f 9000,- per unit. From within the dwelling has been considerably altered especially on the ground floor; the exterior is still nearly intact.

Description

EXTERIOR: The villa is built in timber-frame with wooden walls. The predominantly horizontal wooden parts, tongue-and-grooved into one another, are incorporated in the frame and rail structure. With the substantial overhang of the 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 truss structure high; on the rear side over the full width a volume of one storey with a lean-to roof is 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 In the original rear facade three windows with small glazing bars and a glass door have been replaced by a glass facade. The gabled roof has substantial overhangs on front and rear sides and is covered with red, corrugated Frisian tiles. On the roof slopes are on both sides relatively closed wooden roof dormers with small cross windows. On the front on the ground floor a trapezoidal bay window is built out in the centre, on which came a balcony for the upper storeys. Also on the side of the back room such a bay window with balcony is 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 divisions; the balcony doors are flanked by single 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.

In 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 middle tones. Currently the walls are dark brown; the frame and rail work is white and the frames, windows, shutters and doors white/dark green. That approach in broad outline is lively detailed in parts. The balconies have flat, urn-shaped balusters and balls on the fence posts. In the front gable top the vertical parts end in disc shapes, possibly for drip, which in most dwellings are painted in contrasting colour. In the front gable top are placed on the sides on the point square ornaments 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 staircase and cloakroom/toilet open out. The vestibule has been removed and joined to the corridor. Next to the entrance area lies a broad front room. The suite facade has disappeared, but the spatial layout can still be experienced because the back room is somewhat narrower. The back room originally opened to the conservatory with again suite doors between cupboards; these too have disappeared and the space joined to the back room. Next to the back room lies a spacious kitchen with pantry and behind it, in the addition, the scullery. The remarkably easy, lazy staircase 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 accommodated; the two which are 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 panelled doors are still present. Under the roof two bedrooms with built-in cupboards on one of the sides and a cabinet.

VALUATION

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

- because of the for that time rarely occurring, imported from abroad timber system construction, which probably relates to the shortage and cost 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 design grouping of the ten villas at and near a spacious crossroads.