"Landhuis ""De Blaak"""

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

Former COUNTRY HOUSE "de Blaak" consisting of a country residence and farmhouse in the style forms of Art Nouveau and Reorientation to traditional building methods from 1907. It is in use as a neighbourhood centre and restaurant with residential accommodation above. The building is a design by architect Jan van der Valk (Tilburg).

It was built for A.A.H. Pollet, major industrialist and director of the Tilburg Savings Bank. The object is located at the head of a landscaped garden in which, among other things, a fire pit is found and centennial trees such as acacia, birch, beech, oak, lime and walnut. The hunting room in the country residence is a remnant of an earlier homestead "de Blaak" which was established here in 1869. In the hunting room there is a carved wooden 17th-century fireplace from an Amsterdam canal house. A detached barn (1907) and a tea house (1869) were lost during restoration.

Description

The country residence, on the north side of the country house, consists of two storeys with an attic storey, covered by an overhanging gabled roof with curved roof edge and wind braces. The front facade has a symmetrical projection with the name of the country house in terrazzo work with a tile border of Venetian glass. Above this a gabled roof with the ridge perpendicular to the main roof with curved roof edge and wind braces. On the ground floor a three-sided bay window and on the first floor a balcony. The steel windows and garden doors have glazing bars. The entrance section is located to the right of this in a small porch. The front door has side lights and three fanlights with glazed openings. Above the porch a three-part window with side window in the north facade. In the rear facade the country residence has a back door in a small porch. Next to this on the ground floor a window with three intermediary stiles. On the first floor a balcony with a balcony frame executed as a 'milkmaid' window: two balcony doors with side lights and fanlights provided with glazing bars. Notable in the side facade are the three staggered windows of the staircase. The farmhouse has one storey with an attic storey covered by an overhanging gabled roof with wind braces and curved roof edge and on the south side a half-hipped roof with at the top an owl-board-like light opening with wind braces. The residential section in the front facade has a veranda which is three bays wide. The veranda is covered by a lean-to roof. In the middle the front door with a side light and three fanlights flanked by a window with two intermediary stiles provided with glazed openings. Above this in the roof a three-part chapel with glazed windows covered by a lean-to roof. The transverse section projects in the front facade. Above this a gabled roof with the ridge perpendicular to the main roof with curved roof edge and wind braces. The projection contains double part-doors and upper hayloft doors. To the far south in the facade stable and double carriage doors. The side facade is symmetrical in layout. On the ground floor only a window. In the rear facade, beside some windows, also stable, part-doors and carriage doors. In the roof above the part-doors a chapel under a gabled roof with a horizontal triangle as the front in which a three-part window with two intermediary stiles and windows with glazing bars.

The external walls consist of discoloured red stoneware machine-made brick laid in cross bond for basement, corner reinforcements and bay window, onto which walls with white render with under the roof edge and gable tops a pinewood framework filled with white-painted concrete panels. The veranda has a street-level floor of Ijssel stone.

The interior of the country residence has oak-wood doors, windows, frames, ceilings and staircase with balustrade. In the hunting room there is moreover oak-wood wainscoting with upper and lower panels between carved pilasters. In the wainscoting two cupboards and a door are incorporated. The fireplace has a carved oak-wood frame with on the mantel twelve human heads and leaf motifs. The fireplace is set with c. 500 Delftware tiles (17th century) with depictions of among other things animals, birds, children's games and sayings. In the plasterwork of the corridor and staircase are four tile tableaux consisting of twelve Delftware tiles with images of: a. horse market with inscription of horse trade; b. ploughing farmer with four-in-hand with in the landscape church, mill, farmhouse; c. landscape with river, church and cows; d. hunting scene of three hunters with dog. In the hunting room three paintings (1869) with hunting scenes on gobelin canvas: a. hunter with dog; b. hare and dog; c. four hunters and three dogs. In the farmhouse also a fireplace with in the sides a small window.

Assessment

The former country house is of general interest. It has cultural-historical importance as an example of a socio-economic and typological development, namely the establishment of industrialists' country estates in the green surroundings of the industrial city. Architecturally it is of importance because of the place in the architect's oeuvre, the style inspired by English examples and the use of materials. It is of importance because of the richness and variety of the interior and exterior. It is also of importance because of its typological and functional rarity.