Woonhuis, Parklaan 1

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.

Block with five RESIDENTIAL HOUSES on the corner of the Parklaan and the Kruisbroedershof with front gardens and partly with rear plots. The left gable (Parklaan) with side garden overlooks a small public garden and for this reason stands free, the right gable adjoins the development of the Kruisbroedershof. The block is situated on the old fortification grounds on the southern edge of the city. The houses were constructed in 1928 in the style of the Amsterdam School by architect Edm. Nijsten from Amsterdam. W.H. Nijsten commissioned the construction of two mansions (Parklaan 3 and 4), J. van Dun and P. van Liempt commissioned the remaining three houses, subdivided into one ground-floor dwelling (Parklaan 2) and two upper-floor dwellings (Parklaan 1 and Kruisbroedershof 49).

The houses have been modified in parts over time. Thus, to enlarge the spaces in various houses, a wall has been broken through (Parklaan 2, 3 and 4) and part of the rear gable has been cladded, painted white and provided with a new balcony (Parklaan 2, Kruisbroedershof 49). Despite these modifications, the richly detailed houses in their interior and exterior still give a very good impression of the original situation.

Description.

The brick block consists of an elongated building section along the Parklaan and a shorter building section along the Kruisbroedershof, which intersect each other at the rear at a sharp angle but at the front merge into each other via an almost parabolic curve. The cellaried building has two storeys and a pseudo-attic storey under a flat roof covered with mastic and gravel. Dark blue clinker bricks are alternated with lighter Walloon brick with recessed joint for the vertical masonry, partly in chain bond and partly in header bond and in places embellished with decorative brickwork. The upper storeys and left gable are abundantly furnished with smothered tuile-du-Nord tiles, affixed in vertical position on battens which are fastened on ribs or recessed blocks. Top side of front gable covered with frost tiles. Distinctive is the great variety in windows. Mostly wooden windows with broad frame profiles but also some steel windows with narrow profile. Single or composite and partly with fanlights.

Rectangular, square, triangular or slit-shaped windows, mostly with straight but partly also with curved frames and furnished with characteristic horizontal glazing bars, geometrically coloured leaded glass or cathedral glass. Ceramic tile strips on rolls.

The curved front gable is vertically articulated by two projecting tower volumes on the corners which rise higher than the rest with between them on the Parklaan and at the location of the Parklaan-Kruisbroedershof corner two slightly projecting flat volumes, also rising higher than the rest but lower than the towers. The very diverse use of materials (brick-tile) provides for horizontal articulation. The dividing line between brick and tiles is reinforced by roof gutters located at the base of the tile-covered sections with pronounced overhang, partly functioning as canopy. In the left tower a wooden bay window under a crown of steel windows, under the overhang of the right tower (decorated with decorative woodcarving) the entrance to Kruisbroedershof 49 next to the rear exit of Parklaan 2. This exit, a round arch embellished with decorative brickwork, is closed with a wooden lower door above which decorative ironwork. Under the canopies of the flat volumes are the coupled entrances of Parklaan 1/2 and 3/4. Under the canopy of Parklaan 3/4 is located in the curved section between the entrance doors also a toilet (of number 3). On the corners of the canopy stand earthenware pirons. All houses with the original, heavy wooden front doors with horizontal glazing bars and vertical strip with leaded glass on hard stone thresholds. Left side gable with a plane partially already set on the second storey which is entirely covered with vertically placed tuiles-du-Nord tiles. The rest of the gable and the remaining gables are detailed in accordance with the front gable (but more sober).

In the front and side gardens are mortared flower box walls and to separate from the street decoratively mortared garden walls on which curling iron tube rods and between which fencing of wrought iron and (partly renewed) wooden access gates. For various gable openings in the load-bearing brick walls, as well as in the tower extensions on the corners, iron profile beams have been used. Behind the evenly constructed façade lies a great variety in house floor plans. Parklaan 3 and 4, both three storeys high (although 4 is set up larger), are still the most comparable with mirror-symmetrically positioned staircases and adjoining rooms-en-suite (now partly simplified). The upper-floor dwellings Parklaan 1 and Kruisbroedershof 49 occupy the two storeys above the very extensive ground-floor dwelling at Parklaan 2. From the interiors, among others, are important: original cellars; vestibule with original draught doors; hall and corridors with wall arches, various doors and windows furnished with geometric leaded glass and transverse wooden chamfered posts; stair landing with stylistically carved newel and banister, wainscotting, corner shelves and geometric rooflight on the landing; toilets with original hanging and closing hardware, floor and wall tiles and leaded glass windows; kitchens with black-and-white floor tiles, wooden cupboards with horizontal glazing bars; living rooms with sliding doors with small glazing bars, original wall cupboards, garden doors with leaded glass, marble mantels; furthermore glazed doors on the floors, partly with cathedral glass.

Valuation.

The block of residential houses is of general importance. The object possesses cultural-historical value because of the importance of the internal layout and external appearance for the typological development of residential houses on street corners. The object possesses architectural-historical values because of the importance of this original example of the metropolitan Amsterdam School style for the history of architecture, because of the high-quality aesthetic qualities of the architectural design, because of the exceptional use of materials and the very varied ways in which this is applied, because of the qualitative and very detailed ornamental work and because of the great stylistic coherence between the exterior and the many well-preserved elements of the interior. The object possesses ensemble values because of its location on the southern boundary line of the historic fortifications around Den Bosch. As a development of this city edge during the Interwar period, the object is a reminder of and of importance for the appearance of Den Bosch as a fortified city. The object is of importance because of the well-preserved main forms and many interior elements from the construction period and possesses rarity value because of the uniqueness of its appearance.