Woonhuis, Van der Oudermeulenlaan 11

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

RESIDENTIAL VILLA with integral GARAGE from 1927 and associated GARDEN LAYOUT and ENTRANCE GATE, built on behalf of Rotterdam businessman mr. H.G. Kronenberg to designs by architect H.F. Mertens (1885-1960) from Bilthoven. The Expressionist country house style of the villa shows strong English influences, incorporating elements from the English Country House and Cottage style of the Arts & Crafts movement, evident notably in the application of a thatched roof, rendered parts, windows with glazing bars, conservatories and greenhouse. The butterfly-shaped floor plan is also adopted from England. This ground plan form was also employed by Sir Edwin Luytens (1869-1944), from whose architectural oeuvre multiple elements appear to have been borrowed. Such as the circular termination of the terrace, the scullery with step, the 'screens' for the conservatory and the concavely curved walls beside the staircase and scullery.

On the street side there is an original entrance gate, which via a curved flagstone-paved path leads to the main entrance.

N.B. The servants' sitting room has been converted into a bathroom.

Description

Residential villa with basement, two storeys and an attic, built on a so-called butterfly-shaped ground plan, consisting of two mutually perpendicular wings, mirrored about the bisector of the angle between them. At the villa built against the dune, the garage built against the basement emerges at the level of the garden on the southwestern side. The two convexly curved side wings on the front (southeast) connect to a rectilinear centre and have a rectangular conservatory running through two storeys at the gable end. The building is covered by a composite thatched hipped roof with undulations and partly roof panels extending over the storey with an overhang. On the ridge at both side wings stand mortared chimneys. Additionally a tall, slightly tapering chimney protrudes through the southeastern roof panel, against which a dormer has been placed. This and others are placed under a raised roof panel have rectangular and round-arched form, whereby the windows are provided with glazing bars. The facades are constructed from yellow (cindered) brickwork in irregular bond. Tarred, rendered parts are applied notably for the rear balcony. Single and composite window frames have heavy wooden frames with steel glazed windows, partly opening casements. The street-facing front facade (southeast) has a symmetrical main form but an irregular facade layout. This consists of a single-storey rectilinear centre with two convex side sections, the roofline of which rises. At the centre part to the right of centre is a shallow entrance portico under the extended overhanging roof panel, accessible via several steps with a landing, constructed from circular segments. The portico has quarter-round curved sides. The entrance door with narrow sidelights has a door surround with bulbous pilasters, between which very narrow sidelights are set. To the right, in the wall's curve is a high-placed three-part window frame (wardrobe).

To the left of the entrance is a seven-part window frame with heavy wooden mullions. The brickwork in front contains ventilation openings for the basement.

From the right wing (northwestern) runs on the front, along the concave facade section a flagstone-paved staircase to an entrance at basement level. To the left are a horizontal double three-light window and double garage doors. At the level above (ground floor) is one window with to the right a small window. To the left is a rising series of narrow windows of the staircase, connecting to the roofline. This terminates on the right side with a three-part window frame, with at the corner of the facade a wide, bent wooden mullion, whereby the third window extends over the adjoining facade section.

The right gable end has to the right a conservatory. This has on the ground floor a four-part, four-light window frame and on the storey above a four-part six-light window frame.

The left gable end has to the left a narrow window with to the left of it the conservatory. On the ground floor here a greenhouse on rectangular floor plan under a gabled roof is placed against. In front of the left side wing (southern) a scullery.

The garden-facing southwestern, consists of a rectilinear centre section, onto which the two angled facades of the side wings connect. In front lies a mortared terrace clad with flagstones in the form of a circular segment, terminating at the facades with a staircase.

On the ground floor is in the centre and in the side facade a large window with glazing bars, whereby those in the side facades also contain a door to the terrace.

On the storey above is a balcony extending across the entire facade with rendered balustrade, on which a simple iron rail is placed as a baluster. Behind it is an almost continuous window series with door for both the centre and side room. The attic storey has above it, under a raised roof panel, an elongated, continuous window series.

INTERIOR The floor plan layout and detailing of the interior are for the most part in original condition. By the butterfly form a symmetrical layout has resulted. The interior, where for a part the original colour scheme is maintained, is characterised by simple finishing of notably doors and walls with dark blockboard. Further doors with moulded surround, black marble windowsills. Various original components are preserved such as heavily executed radiators and glazed tiled walls in notably the kitchen and wardrobe (red, yellow, soft green). Entrance has on the left a steep staircase to the basement. To the right is a draughty vestibule with similar door styles to the front door, which leads to a spacious staircase, from which on the ground floor the sitting room, study and servants' room (now: bathroom) are accessible. The sitting room has a parquet floor (herringbone pattern), dark wooden coffered ceiling and the original wall panelling, a three-part display cabinet at one corner and a hearth with plate steel hood on the opposite side. The study has fitted bookshelves. To the left of the entrance is in the left side wing successively the kitchen, scullery, servants' dining room and dining room. The service rooms have notably fixed cupboards, worktops and glazed tiled walls. The dining room also has fixed cupboards; the pillars to the conservatory are missing.

On the storey above, where the original layout is also largely maintained, is centrally in the middle the master bedroom. Here too various original details.

The house is situated higher in the somewhat undulating dune forest of the former country estate Hoogwolde and is surrounded by extensive garden. Due to its position on an (artificial) dune the garage emerges at the level of the lower-lying garden on the southwestern side, while the main entrance emerging at ground floor level is located at the higher front garden. In the design Mertens also incorporated the terrace layout and paths to the house. From the street runs on the northeastern side a path to the garage. To the southeast runs a narrow flagstone-paved path, interrupted halfway by a staircase up to the main entrance. In the garden in the Picturesque garden style the character is partly maintained with Scots pine, oak trees and many rhododendrons.

The entrance gate on the street side consists of, edge-standing, round mortared pillars with rounded top.

Valuation

The residential villa with garage, garden layout and entrance gate is of general importance for reasons of architectural/cultural-historical value

- as a representative example of Expressionist country house style, in which many English influences are recognisable from the English Country House and Cottage style through the application of thatched roof, rendered parts, windows with glazing bars, and conservatories and greenhouse.

- characteristic example of a butterfly-shaped floor plan form that became popular at the beginning of the 20th century in villas and country houses.

- as a highlight in the pre-war oeuvre of architect H.F. Mertens.

The building is both internally and externally very well preserved in main form, material use and detailing and contains many original interior components.

There is situational and ensemble value through the spatial and functional coherence with the surroundings. The undulating position and location for sun exposure has been optimally utilised in the butterfly design of the floor plan.