Industrie, Sterkerij 14

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

Description of component 8: LAUNDRY, CHANGING AND DINING FACILITIES.

Introduction

Former laundry, changing and dining facilities with walkway bridges (LAUNDRY FACILITIES, CHANGING ROOMS, CANTEEN), built in 1950-51 according to a 1949 design by architect D. Masselink of the Architectural Planning Office A.K.U. (indicated as number 8 on the accompanying map). The building is located on the inner courtyard of the old factory block and is connected via walkway bridges to the production buildings. The building costs were estimated at 300,000 guilders. The architectural style shows influences of post-war functionalism and the architectural concept can be seen as a small-scale variant and early example of the then-introduced idea of the 'megastructure': a relatively large building that incorporates various functions and traffic routes, at that time particularly known through the Groothandelsgebouw in Rotterdam built by Van Tijen and Maaskant between 1947 and 1952.

Before the war there were several dining and changing facilities on the site, which were, however, damaged by several wartime bombardments. After years of making do with cramped spaces, this very modern and comfortable building for that time was erected in 1951, which quickly acquired the nickname "de Luchtbrug" (the Air Bridge) because of the walkway bridges. The building and its facilities were then leading-edge and served as an example for many company canteens nationwide. The opening in October 1951 was broadcast directly on radio.

Description

The building has a rectangular ground plan and comprises two storeys of equal width and length plus a third, recessed storey with surrounding terrace, all with flat roofs with ample, slightly upturned eaves. From the third storey, two walkway bridges, located at the gable ends, both likewise flat-roofed but with a lower roof, provide a connection to the old factory block. The building has a concrete frame and likewise concrete floors and is constructed principally of concrete, brick, steel and glass. The structure consists of flat concrete floor and ceiling slabs, directly supported by an extensive colonnade, in the third storey terminating in concrete solid-web portal frames with upward-bent bottom edges and tapering columns. The walkway bridges are braced by concrete solid-web portal frames with upward-bent bottom edges and relatively infrequently applied concrete pendulum columns provided with special steel heads with rebar. The unadorned design is enlivened by the application of special materials, such as decoratively-functioning, blue-glazed brick laid in stretcher bond around the gable ends, and large-scale use of glass bricks in the rounded corners of the third storey. The first two storeys are articulated by the colonnade into 20 bays in length and 6 bays in width. In the long facades, between the columns, eighteen-part concrete casement windows are installed containing steel frames, which span both storeys but are blind in the central section. The corners are constructed in the aforementioned blue-glazed brick. Centrally in the gable ends are the entrance portals, spanning two storeys with glazed shop-fronts and at ground-floor level three double iron access doors. On either side a few square hinged windows with characteristic concrete frame casements. The terraces on the third storey are enclosed with an iron balustrade. Between the columns of the long facades, casement windows as aforementioned containing steel frames and doors. The rounded corners are likewise articulated by concrete casement windows, but completely filled with glass bricks. Walkway bridges similarly detailed.

The layout of the interior is essentially unchanged. Access to the floors via impressive stairs in the gable ends of the building. The setting and fitting-out of the building entirely directed towards clarity, beauty, hygiene and abundant access to light and air. On the ground and first floors were located the changing and laundry facilities. In both changing rooms, wash basins stood in the centre and changing lockers on the sides, totalling 1032 per storey. Each week every worker received a piece of sunlight soap. The lockers were installed around the existing columns and have been largely preserved. Every worker had his own lockable changing locker, a novelty for that time. On the second floor the dining hall, with open views onto the inner courtyard of the old block. Originally there were three dining areas here, the use of which depended on position and gender. The female factory workers had a canteen in the air bridge towards the textile departments. In the centre the large hall for the male factory workers and in the air bridge on the other side the office canteen for office staff.

Valuation

The former laundry, changing and dining facilities (LAUNDRY FACILITIES, CHANGING ROOMS, CANTEEN) is of general importance:

- the object has cultural-historical values as an illustration of the pioneering character of the management in social-economic terms, whereby increasingly more facilities were provided on the site for the welfare of the personnel. Additionally, because of the significance of the innovative design for the typological development of post-war company canteens in the Netherlands;

- the object has architectural-historical values as an exponent of post-war Functionalism, and in particular as an early example of a small-scale variant of the then-innovative concept of the megastructure. Additionally, because of the applied building-technical constructions, notably the central colonnade, solid-web portal frames in the canteen and pendulum columns under the walkway bridges;

- the object has ensemble values because of the considered location on the inner courtyard of the old factory block, with which it was functionally connected via the walkway bridges, and as such was easily and quickly accessible from the surrounding factory halls.