Officiersmess, Deelen:Groot-Heidekamp Arnhem

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

Building 10 stands detached along the north side of the south-western access road to Groot-Heidekamp, roughly midway between numbers 3, 11, 13 and 14. At macro level, building 10 is part of a large military airfield structure from the period 1940-1945, at meso level of a sparse complex of buildings arranged partly in linear and partly in village-green fashion, and within this at micro level of an ensemble of functional accommodations arranged in loose linear arrangement. Building 10 is a recreation building and restaurant (Casino) established in 1940/1941 as a 'Sonderbau' and comprises three clearly distinguishable sections, namely a long east-west oriented mass and an eastern, higher and virtually square volume located there, which are connected by means of a lower intermediate section; and thirdly from the long mass viewed there is a northward-oriented unit, which is likewise connected via an intermediate section. After the war, extensions and alterations were carried out at multiple locations and the interior was also modified at a number of points.

Description

Partly with cellar and otherwise largely with crawl spaces, large, single-storey, with approximately 50 cm thick external brickwork built RECREATION BUILDING AND RESTAURANT on a complex ground plan and partly covered by gabled roofs, in part by hipped roofs, each principally covered with grey corrugated newly improved hollow (Dutch) tiles. Some overhang; gutters all around.

The east-west oriented building section is built on an elongated rectangular ground plan 18 bays wide and is covered by a hipped roof, in which on the left a modern plastic roof light and approximately in the middle a small roof window under a lean-to roof. From the southern long elevation / main elevation on the left of the centre rises a Flemish facade with pointed gable at a slightly higher level with some projection, covered by an attached gabled roof. Therein an arched entrance opening with double doors and divided fanlight and arched window with double windows divided into three. On the ground floor to the left of the Flemish facade a presumably later inserted round window. Further from left to right four and eleven window openings respectively under crow's foot corbelling and with concrete kerb, above provided with four-light casement windows divided with wooden glazing bars and below with double wooden two-light casement windows, below the kerb provided with sheet-metal shutters, single-sided painted in green and white hourglass motif. Western gable elevation with on the right two comparable windows. Northern long elevation with on the right sheet-iron entrance opening under divided fanlight and to the left thereof five comparable window openings, followed by modern extension in the corner with the northward intermediate section. Eastern gable elevation merges into the eastern intermediate section. The interior comprises among other things a greatly modernised, elongated dining hall with lowered ceiling and tiled floor and a modern conference room.

The eastern, with the roof ridge perpendicular to the first standing, located on a slightly sloping surface, entirely with cellar or provided with basement, higher and with slightly recessed brick plinth, on virtually square ground plan constructed building section is covered by a roof ending on the south side in a spout gable and on the north side with a third roof slope and at the bottom slightly turned outward gabled roof. This is partly covered with brick/grey corrugated tiles, in which on the east side a modern plastic roof light. Eastern long elevation contains at ground level on the left gable openings and on the right traces of blocked openings; at mid-level floor five window openings under crow's foot corbelling and with concrete kerb, above provided with four-light casement windows divided with wooden glazing bars and below with double wooden two-light casement windows, below the kerb provided with sheet-metal shutters, single-sided painted in green and white hourglass motif. In the gable south elevation with shoulders projecting by cutting through on basement level on the right a blocked window opening and at mid-level floor a pair of windows comparable to those in the east elevation. At attic floor level two large, presumably later inserted window openings with modern frames under concrete lintel, in which on the left a large glass surface and on the right casement windows. In west elevation on the left two window openings comparable to those in the east elevation and on the right an entrance opening with fanlight, above which a small round window. The northern gable elevation is entirely occupied by a relatively recent extension, which also forms a connection with the adjoining building 10a. The interior currently contains officers' mess.

The intermediate section between these two parts and with the roof ridge in line with the east-west oriented building section is covered by a relatively low attached gabled roof. The southern elevation has on the ground floor a wide arched entrance opening, flanked by block-shaped natural stone frames, connected via a segmental arch executed in brick on which in metal letters: 'officiersmess' and further provided with double wooden doors with a 'ray motif'. Above these doors a small window opening with natural stone surround, containing a finely divided pane. The northern elevation forms the transition to more recent extension and/or alteration and is (partly) omitted.

The northern building section stands with the roof ridge perpendicular to the east-west oriented part, is built on a rectangular ground plan and is covered by a relatively high hipped roof, with chimney at the top of the eastern roof slope and a roof window in the northern one. The west elevation of the intermediate section to the long building section transitioned seamlessly, but the intermediate section is obscured from view by relatively recent extension and/or alteration in both corners - except for the attached gabled roof - and the elevations are possibly (partly) omitted. Western long elevation provided with five window openings under crow's foot corbelling and with concrete kerb, above provided with four-light casement windows divided with wooden glazing bars and below with double wooden two-light casement windows, all with below the kerb sheet-metal shutters, single-sided painted in green and white hourglass motif. Gable north elevation and eastern long elevation entirely occupied with relatively recent extensions and alterations, by which a connection has been created with the adjoining building 10a.

Valuation

Recreation building and restaurant (Casino) built on a complex ground plan, of general importance as a fairly rare and recognisable component of an army camp originating from the Second World War and established by the German occupier as part of a large military airfield, possessing architectural-historical, urban planning, military and cultural-historical and complex and ensemble values, which can be demonstrated among other things in the traditionalist building style inspired by local forms, in the components and details characteristic of the construction period, in the artificially established village-green structure and the camouflage carried through to fine detail, in the coherence of and with the overall military airfield concept and the main spatial lines and components of the camp, and in the mutual affinity of the forms applied herein.