Woonhuis, Ambtmanstraat 20

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

DOUBLE GENTLEMAN'S HOUSE built in 1894 to the design of the Nijmegen architect D. SEMMELINK (1855-1899) on behalf of the Tiel lawyer and alderman mr. Pieter H.A. Tydeman.

The house is located in the historic centre of Tiel in the eastern streetfront of the Ambtmanstraat. This street is characterised by monumental residential houses, whose current appearance dates predominantly from the 19th century, and of which the Ambtmanshuis (16th century) and the Oud Burger Mannen en Vrouwenhuis (1804) are the best-known.

Architect Semmelink is known especially for residential houses, villas and shop premises in Nijmegen, executed in Eclectic style with predominantly Neo-Renaissance influences. The double residential house on the Ambtmanstraat is likewise characterised by Neo-Renaissance influences, executed here with the yellow facing brick popular in this period. The property is subdivided into two comparable dwellings of each three bays wide and is of the type with a compressed ground floor and a monumental, high 'piano nobile'. Striking is the rich execution of the interior, with stucco ceilings even in the attic rooms (dwelling no. 20). Dwelling no. 20 is still occupied and is found in virtually its original state. Dwelling no. 22 is in use as an office. The layout and furnishing of the interior of this dwelling has been impaired in some respects.

Description

Partially cellared DOUBLE GENTLEMAN'S HOUSE erected on a rectangular ground plan, three storeys and an attic storey high and covered with a flat roof, with a hipped roof at the front and rear. These hips are laid with smoked pantiles and drainage takes place via a moulded and corniced iron gutter at front and rear facade. The facades are erected in red brick (running bond) and have a limestone plinth at the front facade. Within the front facade facing brick, decorative brickwork, ornamental carpentry and natural stone have been applied in Neo-Renaissance style. On the transition between the second and third storey there is a series of ornamental wall anchors. The facades include, among other things, T-sash windows, alongside casement windows and composite windows. All windows are located within moulded frames. At front and rear facades they are surrounded by a border in decorative brickwork in red facing brick, whereby the window openings of the front facade are defined with a border in curved profile brick. The drip mouldings of the windows are predominantly executed in limestone. The asymmetrically arranged FRONT FACADE comprises six axes and consists above the plinth of a base zone which is executed in yellow facing brick with courses in limestone. The base zone is terminated by a limestone drip moulding. In this zone are located in the third and sixth axis the front doors of the dwellings and in the other axes segmental arch-shaped windows with single-ruit casement windows. The window openings are closed at the top by a segmental arch in brickwork with limestone joggled and key stones, whereby the key stones as well as the courses are provided with diamond-headed bosses. The double, segmental arch-shaped panelled doors are furnished with panes with wrought-iron grilles. The second and third storeys are entirely executed in red brick and are articulated by seven sandstone courses. The second and third storeys possess T-sash windows. These are closed with a round arch in red facing brick (second storey) or with a segmental arch (third storey) furnished with a key stone executed in sandstone with diamond-headed boss and an arch drum executed in red and smoked facing brick (decorative bond). In the third storey the segmental arches are executed with a cock's comb. The windows in the first and third axis from the right (second storey) have been replaced within the original frames. In the sixth axis from the right there is a double French door under single-ruit fanlight. In the second axis from the right there is a timber oriel on timber corbels which rest on limestone consoles that project from the wall from the first storey. The oriel is constructed with Neo-Renaissance ornamented styles and rails, filled with windows with leaded glass fanlights. The oriel has a solid lower section furnished with cushion blocks and is terminated at the top with a main cornice and a zinc hipped roof on which there is a balcony with a cast-iron balustrade with scroll-work. The left house has a non-original balcony in the place where a timber balcony was present. In the wall there are still the limestone consoles. Originally the oriel and the balcony were supported by ornamented limestone carriers. The facade is terminated by a main cornice which is constructed from a frieze executed in decorative brickwork (bond) and a corniced cornice. The projecting parts of this cornice are supported by gutter consoles in the form of triglyphs, between which there are metopes (second axis right) and by stepped arched friezes (fourth and sixth axis from the right), executed with ornamented consoles. The cornice is interrupted in the second axis from the left by a dormer in the form of a Flemish stepped gable with volutes on either side. A similar roof gable was originally located in the second axis from the right. In the stepped gable there is a casement window under a round arch, surrounded by ornamental wall anchors. The plain RIGHT SIDE FACADE has on the left in the third storey a renewed window. On the plain LEFT SIDE FACADE there is over almost three storeys a pentagonal projection containing the staircase of dwelling no. 22. In this projection there are located one above the other two flights of stairs, of which the upper one is furnished with leaded glass. The asymmetrically arranged REAR FACADE consists of four unequal axes with rear doors in the first and third axis. The facade employs various types of windows, which reflect the function of the spaces in the interior. In the second and fourth axis from the right large three-part (first storey) and six-pane (second and third storey) windows for the kitchens and living spaces. In the first and third axis T-sash windows for secondary spaces such as corridors. In the staircase (third axis) of dwelling no. 20 drawn up as a straight-closed tower body through the cornice line are in the two upper storeys round-arch-shaped twin windows fitted, with fanlights and an arch drum in leaded glass (rood window). The windows possess worked styles and rails as elsewhere and are closed at the top with segmental arches provided with simple decorative brickwork. In the roof hip there are two simple dormers. The INTERIOR of dwelling no. 20 is virtually intact and contains a layout with a compressed ground floor provided with a draught vestibule, long corridor with a curved staircase with ornamented newel, a modest living space, archive room and kitchen. The first floor contains among other things interconnecting rooms with richly executed stucco ceilings. The second and attic floors contain bedrooms. The interior contains many original and valuable components, such as virtually all original panelled doors, a corridor with marble-executed floor and plinths, draught door with worked glass and casements executed in plasterwork on the walls. Virtually all rooms possess stucco ceilings. Many windows are executed with window sills and interior shutters. In the living spaces there are furthermore some black marble mantels. The original layout of no. 22 differs slightly from no. 20 but has comparable furnishings. No. 22 has a different staircase and furthermore on the first floor a broad front room with at right angles to this a living space with which it forms interconnecting rooms by means of sliding doors. In details the original structure and furnishings of this dwelling have been impaired, thus in the corridor on the ground floor the draught door has disappeared as well as the marble floor. In various rooms the ceilings have been lowered, the original doors boarded and the chimney surrounds removed. Beneath the lowered ceilings the original ceilings presumably still exist and a dismantled chimney surround has been retained. Present are among other things marble plinths and thresholds, stucco ceilings, ornamented beam consoles and casements on the walls.

Evaluation

Double GENTLEMAN'S HOUSE built in 1894 to the design of D. SEMMELINK

-Of architectural-historical value as a good and sound example in interior and exterior of an urban residential house from the end of the nineteenth century in Neo-Renaissance style. The property stands out due to the high-quality aesthetic qualities of the front facade, such as the varied use of materials of facing brick, limestone and ornamented wooden elements, such as a striking oriel. The internal structure of the dwellings is largely intact and has a characteristic layout with 'piano nobile'. The interiors contain many original elements including richly executed stucco ceilings, corridors clad in marble and marble chimney mantels.

-The property is of urban planning value as part of the eastern streetfront of the Ambtmanstraat in the historic city centre of Tiel. The property plays an image-determining role here due to the fine working of the facade and has high ensemble value in relation to the adjoining monumental properties, which show a variety of nineteenth-century facades.