Studio, 's-Gravelandseweg 52

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

STUDIO BUILDING (STUDIO 1), component of the studio complex of the AVRO, the Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep, founded on 1 January 1928. The studio was built in 1934-1936, with later extensions of which the addition of the coffee room and the extension with the gatehouse in 1938-1940 are the most important, designed by B. Merkelbach and Ch.F. Karsten in business expressionist architectural style and visually dominant situated on a site between the 's-Gravelandseweg on the southwestern side, the Melkpad on the southeastern side and the Hoge Naarderweg on the northeastern side. The studio site is bounded on the side of the 's-Gravelandseweg and the Melkpad side by a BOUNDARY FENCE in the form of a low brick wall.

Description

Studio building (Studio 1), originally with director's residence, is constructed on a composite fan-shaped floor plan, oriented north-south with the entrance on the southwestern side and the large concert studio on the southeastern side. The studio is composed of different building volumes in a light fan shape, constructed in yellow brick under horizontal cladding with narrow white overhanging eaves line. The fan shape arose from the principle that to achieve good acoustics, walls running parallel to each other should be avoided as much as possible. Two monumental aisles could thereby be preserved. The building volume with the entrance, ancillary rooms and smaller studios, to which the director's residence was adjoined on the left, is connected by a lower, recessed intermediate section to the large concert hall in which a coffee room with a passage around a void above is housed on the upper floor. The coffee room was housed in a far projecting predominantly glazed extension, whereby the originally open gallery on the ground floor was enclosed. The facades are articulated by means of the exposed concrete structure, while harmony between the many, often mutually different, window sections in steel frames is achieved by white paint. All original frames contain composite steel windows. The main entrance is on the southwestern side, on the 's-Gravelandseweg, under a higher projecting building element that rests on heavy columns partially clad with silvery-coloured panels. On the blank facade the letters A.V.R.O. and the image The Sower are affixed. The glazed storefront is accessed via a broad natural stone staircase. The side walls are likewise clad with natural stone in which texts are applied in high relief: on the left, '1936 AVRO/this commemorative stone was placed by/W. Vogt,/founder of the AVRO', and on the right, 'his is the strongest strength/that knows the bond of all desire-and/wild forces/and directs them towards one single equilibrium'. The facades of the volume where the building element projects align with a vertical window strip that illuminates the staircases. On the ground floor there are windows. The original director's residence hooks onto the western corner and contains two storeys. A balcony across the full width on the southwestern facade and many window sections dominate the facades. The recessed glazed intermediate section on the southern side contains an originally open passage on the upper floor. The large, high concert hall contains on the southern side a partially arch-shaped constructed glazed coffee room with parapet above and projecting over the enclosed passage on the ground floor. The facade on the Hoge Naarderweg contains on the left the southeastern facade of the large concert hall in which an entrance under a trapezium-shaped projecting facade element on narrow columns. The location of the stage is marked by a higher building element, behind which the lower organ room with blank facades. The gatehouse adjoins this. The space between the concrete columns was filled in 1970 with office rooms. The two storeys above contain horizontal window rows.

The facades on the inner courtyard on the northern side are perforated to varying degrees. The eastern facade contains a window strip in a narrow building element that marks the staircase and windows in the building element with ancillary rooms. The southern side, on either side of the chimney, contains many window sections.

The interior and exterior walls of the studios were realized on separate foundations, thereby creating the principle of a box within a box. In the interior, original elements are still present, such as the void, doors and glazed partitions. The building also contains a church and concert organ, architecturally integrated into the building, the construction of which was begun by the firm Standaart in Rotterdam, completed by the English firm Compton.

The boundary fence consists of a low brick wall.

Valuation

Studio 1 with associated interior components and boundary fence is of general importance due to architectural and cultural-historical value as a historic-functional component of the studio complex 'AVRO', and as a well-preserved example of a studio, built in business expressionist architectural style designed by B. Merkelbach and Ch. F. Karsten in the first half of the twentieth century. The studio is furthermore of importance as a component in the development of Hilversum as a broadcasting centre, visually dominant situated in the villa district Ministerpark e.o.. Moreover, the studio is of importance for understanding the development of studio construction.