Bankgebouw, Apollolaan 15

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

Located between the three-way junction Gerrit van der Veenstraat/Stadionweg/Apollolaan (W) and the intersection Stadionweg/Apollolaan (E), built in 1937-1939 and diagonally placed in a square plot with planting an OFFICE BUILDING, originally for the Rijksverzekeringsbank (RVB), to a design in the Functionalist style by D. Roosenburg. The two sculptures at the covered entrance are by Hildo Krop and Han Wezelaar.

N.B. In 1968 the building underwent an important external change when the original cream-coloured ceramic plates were replaced by more durable whitish travertine plates to clad the internal steel skeleton. The jointing was executed much less conspicuously in this process. Additionally, the roof structure was extended for the canteen relocated there (originally located on the sixth storey with roof terrace). Internally too a number of original components were removed such as the transport mechanism for the interest cards and the (then innovative) ceiling heating. In 1991 the owner (by then renamed Sociale Verzekerings Bank) moved to a new location, after which the property on the Apollolaan was again substantially altered. The ring building was demolished for an underground car park and subsequently reconstructed. The steel windows were replaced by dark anodised aluminium profiles. Glazed brick has been applied to the facade in secondary locations. Internally the iron skeleton and stairwell remain. The fresco by Charles Eyck in the void of the entrance hall and the stained-glass windows in the former board room by Joep Nicolas were removed and transferred to the office at Rhijnvis Feithplein.

Description

A prominent, tall office building consisting of two office wings separated by a central staircase and lift shaft on a module of 1.80 metres and a – reconstructed – ring building. The front wing (E), with six storeys, chamfered corners and a covered entrance, is supported by four pylons and originally contained the most representative rooms. This wing is approximately 40 metres high. The other, longer wing (W) is undercellared and contains, in addition to the tall ground floor, five more storeys and an extended round stairwell at the end. This wing is approximately 35 metres high; the total length is 96 metres. The building has a brick basement and was constructed using a steel skeleton, which at the time of construction was one of the largest of its kind in the Netherlands with spans of seven metres and a height of almost 34 metres. Around this office building the reconstructed ring building, approximately 9 metres high with an external diameter of 75 metres. The various building volumes are flat-roofed, with the overhanging roof edge lined with copper cladding (renewed at the last renovation). The regularly distributed windows across the facade are narrow and rectangular. At the stairwells, furthermore, vertically stacked circular windows are incorporated. In contrast to the east wing, the windows in the west wing are located between colossal pilasters, whereby the vertical articulation in this wing predominates.

Diagonally, along curved lines, two passages were projected under the building for service traffic. At the covered entrance, towards which a curved gently rising approach branches off on two sides, two sculptures are placed in the niches of a heavy pilaster opposite the pylons which symbolize two aspects of the RVB: Justice by Hildo Krop (man with sword) and Caring by Han Wezelaar (woman with lamb). The entrance contains a curved step with low treads. The remaining spaces of the square building block are arranged as green areas.

Valuation

An office building originally built as the Rijksverzekeringsbank of general significance due to its cultural-historical value as the first state-built office with associated archive specifically intended for social insurance, as well as due to its architectural-historical value owing to the functionalist approach characteristic of D. Roosenburg's work combined with more expressive detailing, application of pilotis and differentiation in height and forms of the principal building volumes. Also of building-historical value owing to the early large-scale application of a steel skeleton. Finally of significance owing to its landmark location at an important road junction in Plan-South of Berlage.