Schip van Blaauw

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

LABORATORY FOR PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, built in 1919-1922 by architect Cornelis J. Blaauw (1885-1947), in Amsterdam School style. The striking building is known as the "Blaauw's Ship" and is situated on the northern bank of the Nederrijn, parallel to the river. The building, now partly in use as an office building, is separated from Generaal Foulkesweg by rustication and a small (former) caretaker's lodge. The building plan for the laboratory was submitted by professor A.H. Blaauw (no relation to the young architect), who incorporated not only a laboratory with lecture hall into the building, but also a professor's residence. Due to the limitations of his initial housing in an old building in the city centre, he knew precisely what (new) requirements the building had to meet. Thus the basement is situated one metre below ground level (favourable for constant measurement temperatures), on the south side originally with greenhouses and a deep cellar at approximately 9 metres with low temperature to promote natural growth and energy savings for cooling spaces. This visionary building plan ultimately contributed to ideal conditions for research which eventually resulted in great successes for the contemporary bulb-flower cultivation.

Description

The building has a composite floor plan with a mainly rectangular ground plan. The elongated brick building (Flemish bond) contains a basement, one storey and a first floor under a composite hipped roof covered with roof tiles. The roof, which is broken at both short sides, is dominated by a skylight located in the middle. This is then covered with a tent roof of a special form. On the north and south sides there are several roof dormers that vary in size and type (flat-roofed), some of which were added later. The rounded and profiled brickwork gutters are supported by protruding cut blocks acting as ribs. The numerous window bays contain different types of windows, coupled or not, the smaller variants equipped with horizontal or decorative glazing bars. The various doors on the north and south sides, placed perpendicular to the wall surfaces, are largely partially concealed by wall piers extending from the facade. The door frames always rest on stone sills and likewise thresholds.

The FRONT FACADE is considered to be the north side, which faces away from the Nederrijn. The small windows in the basement, to the left of the protruding door section located to the east, rest on leakage sill tiles, instead of on wooden window sills. On the south side of the facade there are undivided hinged windows. The east side of the facade contains on the first floor three large coupled windows above an inscription chiselled in stone reading 'BUILT IN THE YEARS 1919-1921 UNDER/ DIRECTION OF THE NETHERLANDS BUILDINGS 1ST DISTRICT/ DESIGNED BY ARCH. C.J. BLAAUW' with, in the roof shield partly extended over the facade and covered with roof tiles, three stepped diamond-shaped windows, now sealed. In the overlying roof plane there is a semicircular roof window. The adjoining protruding portico to the right contains an oak door (to the lecture hall) with a diamond-shaped window in the centre and an ornamental door grille. The side of the extension which is parallel to the facade is taken up by a composite window consisting of three rows of four windows each provided with partial stained glass. The rows are separated from each other by two heavily executed mullions. From the top row of windows, two windows extend to the left towards the side above the aforementioned front door and to the right a window angles into the further blind wall. Two sculpted masks appear at the two corners. In the roof plane there is a roof dormer with a drop window flanked by a three-light window.

The central section of the facade contains among other things on the first floor eight coupled windows, of which the upper windows separated by a mullion slide only. In the roof plane there are just as many coupled windows in the wide roof dormer. To the right of a flat-roofed extension of the basement, behind two, partly overlapping sloping wall piers, is the basement entrance with a clamped door. This is placed perpendicular to the long side of the facade in a slightly projecting section to the right in which the third entrance of the facade is accommodated. Below the cornice come seven coupled stained glass windows that extend over the perpendicularly placed wall surfaces. Three sides of the two corners are decorated with masks cut out in wood, the third of which is situated next to the clamped door, provided with draught strips and glazed door (professor's residence). In the interior portico, accessible via several brick steps with parapets perpendicular to the facade, there are two coupled windows. At the far right the first floor is extended with respect to the basement with three coupled windows. It is almost entirely taken up by a composite window of which three of the four windows are on the front facade and the fourth is angled towards the right side facade. In the roof plane there is a wide roof dormer with seven coupled windows.

The LEFT SIDE FACADE is very simple and consists of a narrow extension against which an intermediate section was later added. The sides are finished blind. To the left and right of the extension, the flanking wall surface at basement height contains a window with three coupled windows. Over the first storey the roof shield is extended with roof tiles.

The left section of the REAR FACADE (south side) is positioned back from the facade line with respect to the first storey and first floor. This creates a large terrace which is accessible via a brick staircase parallel to the facade. On the terrace there is a greenhouse with rectangular floor plan under an extended roof shield. The sides of the greenhouse have three windows divided by glazing bars; the front consists of a large window with a three-light on each side. In the roof shield there is a roof dormer with a roof window. Two window openings open onto the terrace, the most left one containing double four-pane garden doors, flanked by three-pane side lights with four fanlights. With the exception of one window instead of double doors, this window is corresponding.

Seen from the left there are two roof dormers with respectively four and three coupled windows. The central section is characterized by a symmetrical facade layout. The basement has become a full storey here due to the excavated terrain. On either side of the door divided by glazing bars and flanking side lights there are on the left and right respectively eight and five windows with windows divided by two horizontal glazing bars. The first floor is taken up by three windows with three coupled, composite windows of the type that also appeared in the front facade with sliding upper windows. In the roof, three roof dormers added in the nineteen-thirties correspond with this number. The left side of the central section, which borders the aforementioned terrace, has a glazed door which is partially concealed behind a wall pier of the facade that continues as a closed parapet of the terrace. The right side likewise contains a glazed door which is accessible via a brick staircase. The right side of the facade is otherwise the same as the section mirroring it with this part of the front facade.

From the plastically shaped hanging bay on the RIGHT SIDE FACADE (west facade), reminiscent of a ship's bow, the special building derives its nickname 'Blaauw's Ship'. In the central axis of the facade, in the basement on either side there is a simple three-pane and a roof window. To the right below the greenhouse of the rear facade there is also a five-pane door with side light, screened by a low brick parapet, which is accessible via a staircase. To the left of the hanging bay is a side window that forms part of the composite window of the front facade and is described there. The bay is constructed of wooden planks and rests on a concrete shell. Two three-pane windows with fanlight placed under a blunt exterior corner are separated by six stained glass panes placed one below the other. At the location of the aforementioned corner in the central axis of the closed parapet of the balcony adjoining the bay, plastic motifs are cut out in wood. The balcony has double glazed doors which directly border the far overhanging roof which likewise shows a blunt exterior corner projecting forward.

The laboratory section located south-east, recessed in the terrain talus, is covered by a bituminous pressed hipped roof, protruding slightly above ground level. It has five windows with two coupled windows on the long sides and two on the end facades.

The INTERIOR, adapted to a minor degree to modern requirements of the time, has preserved its characteristic Amsterdam School-style character well, in addition to its spatial layout, and still shows many original components such as the panel doors, the black and white tiled half-storeys, the plastically executed staircases with parapets and above a light shaft with stained glass. In smaller details several beautifully designed umbrella stands, a laboratory weighing table and a fume hood have been preserved. In the lecture hall with rising floor level with the original bench rows, a projector table, ventilation hood. In the hall there is a stone with the inscription: 'NATURE REMAINS/ A WONDER TO ENCHANT US/ YOUR BLOSSOMING EVER/ AND ETERNAL GROWTH/ FROM HOUR TO HOUR'

Valuation

LABORATORY built in 1922 by architect Cornelis J. Blaauw.

- Of architectural-historical importance as an intact and well-preserved example of a school building in the style of the Amsterdam School. Together with the two other laboratories in Wageningen, also designed by him, the building forms a representative image of the architect's oeuvre and a richly executed example of Amsterdam School style.

- Of town-planning importance as part of the plan to realize several educational buildings on the Wageningse Berg for the expansion of the Agricultural University education in the first quarter of the 20th century.

- Of cultural-historical importance as an example of an educational building built and fitted out according to the modern requirements of the time. Important for agricultural research in the Netherlands.