Mercurius

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

A detached and substantial former FACTORY BUILDING 'Mercurius' from 1919-1921, forming part of the complex of the same name. The building, intended for storage, grain processing and rest and changing rooms, was constructed on behalf of N.V. Koninklijke Pellerij 'Mercurius' formerly Gebroeders Laan according to designs by Wormerveerse contractor-architect Mart J. Stam. The use of reinforced concrete is incorporated into the architecture of the building in a contemporary decorative manner, in combination with Art Deco characteristics. 'Mercurius' was one of the later expansions of the factory complex that around 1920 occupied the entire area east of the Zaanbrug. The building was originally connected to the neighbouring warehouse 'Koningsbergen' by an air bridge. Today (1999) the Mercurius building, following restoration in 1995-1997 by Jan Boot, is in use by the province of North Holland as a provincial archaeological depot.

Remarkable is the early application of mushroom floors in reinforced concrete, which stands apart from the concrete column and beam framework of the exterior. This construction made a flat floor and large span possible and continues in the loading balconies. The factory building, with its long, representative facade facing the Zaan, forms part of the varied industrial landscape along the Zaanoevers in which food, oil and timber industries dominated and water transport was an essential condition for establishment.

N.B. The original entrance building against the left side facade has been demolished.

Description

A blocklike building of four storeys erected on a rectangular plan in reinforced concrete beneath a flat roof covered with mastic. The concrete construction - external column and beam framework and internal mushroom columns - placed on 476 piles thirteen metres long, is legible on the outside. The long facades are articulated vertically by single and composite concrete columns with tapered feet, the latter in the grid of the internal column structure, and in the front facade a division suggesting risalits. The short facades are built up from the same elements. The rear facade is more austere, without risalits and brick-filled corner bays. The non-loadbearing facade elements are steel frames and upright red brick infills. Along the roof edge runs a plastered and overhanging heavy cornice and attic zone with recesses on the corner risalits for the plastered Art Deco crownings of the brick-filled corner bays (not on the rear facade). These recesses are also found above the second and the penultimate bay of the front facade. The attic is stepped on the side facades, on the rear provided with brick infills. The symmetrical front facade (S) facing the Zaan comprises sixteen bays of which the four central ones form a central risalit and the outermost two left and right form corner risalits. The corner and central risalits are built up higher. At the top, under the attic zone the coupled pilasters end in a double cylindrical element with brick crown. The corner risalits have a flagpole in a decorative iron base at the apex. The central section has a high frieze bearing the factory name. On the left in the front facade a one-storey, three-sided projection with four four-light windows (porter's lodge).

The infill in each bay consists mainly of stacked steel frames with double brick seats with upright brick parapets and concrete lintels, the uppermost lintels locally concealed from view by the main beam. The brick corner bays are splayed diagonally towards the centre. On the second, third and fourth storeys in the second, seventh, tenth and fifteenth bays, counting from the left, double warehouse doors with lobed ornaments and four-light windows are found, on the first and second floors concrete loading balconies with roller bars and simple railwork on 'mushroom consoles'. Above the doors of the fourth storey are concrete hoisting beams. The three lower storeys are fitted with twelve-light horizontal windows. On the fourth storey, between the risalits, taller rear windows which with the brick wall surfaces taper towards a header arch, thus emphasizing the vertical lines. The four-bay wide central risalit has on the fourth storey two tall eighteen-light windows and above in the attic in black metal the name of the building against a background of yellow tiles. The asymmetrical rear facade (N) is likewise subdivided into sixteen bays and has a comparable arrangement, but without risalits. The second and the fourteenth bays have warehouse doors as on the front facade on all storeys. In the remaining bays on the first and second floors mainly horizontal twelve-light windows as before, and on the third floor tall eighteen-light windows. The third through sixth bays on the second storey are however divided in two by concrete columns with four-light windows between. On the ground floor windows with other glazing bar divisions (six- and three-light) also occur.

The asymmetrical left side facade (W), with straight attic zone, has seven bays. The outermost two are virtually identical to those of the front, the inner three are somewhat narrower. The intermediate bays have a similar composition to the front, with on the symmetrical ground floor a central (new) door flanked by a pair of six-light and two pairs of twelve-light windows. On the first floor there are in the centre three six-light windows between twelve-light windows. Likewise on the second floor, but with three-light window. On the third floor, asymmetrically placed (in the third bay), an eighteen-light window is found between three twelve-light windows. Here was located the air bridge to warehouse 'Koningsbergen'.

The symmetrical right side facade (E) is virtually identical to the west facade but has centrally on the second floor three six-light windows and on the third floor centrally three nine-light windows. The internal load-bearing structure contains per storey octagonal mushroom columns in two rows of seven, tapering with each higher storey. The concrete floors are cast in situ. Of the interior components of further importance are the possibly post-war conveyor belt and the stairwell.

Valuation

The factory building 'Mercurius' dating from 1919-1921 is of general importance on grounds of architectural and cultural-historical as well as industrial-archaeological and typological value as a historically-functional component of the complex of the same name and as an early example of an industrial building executed with mushroom floors wherein the application of reinforced concrete is incorporated into the architecture in a contemporary decorative manner and provided with rare Art Deco ornaments. Also of importance as a representative of the technologically innovating food industry long established along the Zaan as well as of the oeuvre connected with this building commission of the local contractor-architect Mart J. Stam. Furthermore of great ensemble value on account of the historically-functional and spatial coherence with the neighbouring industrial buildings along the Zaan.