Nutsbedrijf, van der Molenallee 46 TRA Doorwerth (Renkum 25)

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

This TRANSFORMER SUBSTATION is located in the woodland between the centres of Kievitsdel and Doorwerth, and is situated on the south-western corner of the Van der Molenallee and the Baron van Brakell-laan. The broad front facade with the steel door of the high-voltage room faces the Van der Molenallee. The wooden door of the low-voltage room is located in the narrow facade on the Baron van Brakell-laan. The transformer substation was built between 1920 and 1930 on the instructions of the P.G.E.M. after a design by architect G. Versteeg in businesslike expressionist style (type G4L?). The original fencing has been replaced.

Description

TRANSFORMER SUBSTATION on rectangular ground plan. The slightly sloping hipped roof has a substantial concrete overhang. The facades, constructed in red brick, are laid in half-brick bond. On the four corners, parts of the facades are tarred black. These black facade sections have a border of laid-out yellow bricks and are horizontally articulated by laying out a course of yellow bricks every four brick layers. To the right of centre, the asymmetrically arranged front facade contains the entrance with steel door of the high-voltage room. The entrance with wooden door of the low-voltage room is located in the centre of the symmetrically arranged left side facade. The blank rear and right side facades are symmetrically arranged. The facades are finished with an architrave and a recessed frieze. The architrave consists of three courses of tarred bricks laid between a laid-out brick course (below) and a laid-out rolled course (above), both executed in yellow brick. In the architrave, broad wall openings are left with five glass bricks or (in the fanlights) metal grilles. The recessed frieze has on the four corners - corresponding with the aforementioned black facade sections - five laid-out and tarred brick courses. Ventilation grilles are fitted in the frieze. The facades are finished with a laid-out rolled course. The colours black and yellow in the brickwork refer to the Gelderland colours.

Valuation

TRANSFORMER SUBSTATION from 1920-1930.

- Of architectural historical value as a good and intact example of a transformer substation frequently applied by the P.G.E.M. in multiple variants from the period 1920-1930 after a design by architect G. Versteeg in businesslike expressionist style. The object stands out for high-quality aesthetic qualities of the exterior, such as the plasticity of the facades (laid-out bands, recessed facade sections) and the distinctive use of colour (combination of black and yellow as a reference to the Gelderland colours).

- Of cultural historical value as a good example of a functional and at the time relatively new building type for the provision of electricity, combined with the remarkably rich appearance of the first generation of transformer substations. As such, this transformer substation is important for the typological development of the transformer substation, and is important as a reminder of the electrification of the municipality of Renkum.