Sint Willibrordkerk

English translation

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Description

Introduction

CHURCH BUILDING, belonging to the R.C. church complex St. Willibrordus, built in 1884 by architect Nicolaas Molenaar. Enlarged in 1935 by his son N. Molenaar.

Description

The R.C. cruciform church (basilical type) was designed in 1885 by Nic. Molenaar in neo-gothic style and enlarged in 1935 by N. Molenaar jr. The church building is constructed of brickwork on a brick reinforcing frame and provided with tapering buttresses with offsets. In certain places natural stone and red facing brick are applied for decoration. The slate-covered hipped roofs are broken through in a number of places by small roof dormers. The windows, sound holes and blind recesses have a pointed arch termination and are partly provided with tracery. The nave and the side aisles of the church comprise four bays. The transept ends are almost entirely occupied by five lancet windows rising in height. The choir on the east side has a five-sided choir termination. In the angles between choir and transept, ancillary buildings are set under leanto roofs. On the northeast side is situated the sacristy and the connection to the rectory. Against the southwest side of the nave is the tower on a square footprint of four storeys with tapering buttresses, sound holes and a constricted, slate-covered octagonal spire in which on four sides three louvres placed one above the other under an added sloping roof. The spire has a cross with a weathercock above it. On the west side in the tower is the straight-closing entrance above which a number of windows set in a pointed arch, under a carved stone sculpture in haute-relief at the apex of the arch depicting Saint Willibrordus. Above this the masonry has a horizontal band in four-part motifs. The second storey furthermore contains on three sides a large window. The third storey is executed with pointed arch-shaped spandrels. The fourth storey has on each side three sound holes. Against the west side of the tower is a small stair turret placed, which reaches to the third storey.

The interior of the church is plastered with the exception of the cross-ribbed vaults in the nave and side aisles. A number of windows are provided with stained glass windows. In the baptistry are panes by Geuer from 1888. The high altar dates largely from 1892. The niello works are made by G.B. Brom and depict among other things the Last Supper. Also important are notably the Mary altar and a bell with the inscription 'Amstelodamum 1744'.

Valuation

The R.C. church is of general importance because of its architectural historical value as an example of a neo-gothic church with finely executed and well-preserved interior components as well as a well-preserved exterior. The church is important as part of the oeuvre of architect Nicolaas Molenaar and enlarged by his son. Of cultural historical value as an example of the flourishing Roman Catholic faith tradition in Utrecht as well as of situational value because of its location in relation to the churchyard, the procession garden and the rectory dating from the same period.

Cultural-historical description

This concerns Nic. Molenaar's first R.C. church which, according to tradition, he received the commission for through the contacts between P.J.H. Cuypers and the family Van Bijlevelt, the donors of the plot of building land on which the church was erected.