Bijgebouwen, Delenseweg bij 85

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 23 stands free-standing along the current Hoenderloseweg, between building 18 and building 19, slightly to the southeast of the main entrance of the Kop van Deelen site. Was built in 1940 as a 'Sonderbau', with unobstructed views across the entire airfield from the front and bordered at the rear by wooded area and partially sunken relative to the site, whereby the building on the south side is poorly accessible via a concrete stair with iron handrails. Building 23 was camouflaged during the war with a farm-like reconstruction or conversion, but was subsequently reduced to a concrete bunker. In the relatively recent past the building has been largely provided with a green painted profiled iron casing and a brick extension in the framework of a new function, while moreover a transmitting and/or receiving installation was placed on the roof. These additions are of subordinate importance for protection. At macro level building 23 is part of a large military airfield structure from the period 1940-1945. At meso level the building is part of a sparse complex of buildings arranged in a village-like structure, while at micro level it is a main component of a loosely grouped cluster of accommodation directly connected to flight control. Within this, building 23 had an important purpose as a command bunker, namely as an emergency command centre in case of enemy - hence Allied - air raids.

Description

Relatively extensive, but through later casing and extension scarcely visible, reinforced concrete COMMAND BUNKER, built on a floor plan principally rectangular and covered by a reinforced concrete roof sloping slightly towards both sides. The longitudinal axis runs approximately from northwest to southeast and is broadly parallel to the Hoenderloseweg. The right and left side elevations contain recessed elevation openings cut into the wall thickness with sheet steel doors perpendicular to it. The northeastern rear elevation is completely obscured by the casing. The single-storey extension executed in brick and presumed to have come about in two phases is located largely along the Hoenderloseweg side and determines part of the current southwestern elevation. On the right the extension extends past a section projecting from the building line and curves semicircularly towards the southeastern side; the extension contains modern elevation openings here and to the left of it spandrel sections. The interior comprises various spaces, within which among other things a number of reinforced concrete mushroom columns, steel shutters belonging to viewing and gun ports, and small square 'compartments', which may be relics of ventilation ducts or gas lock systems.

Valuation

COMMAND BUNKER, of general importance as a rare component of a military camp dating from the Second World War and set up by the German occupier as part of a large military airfield, because of: urban-planning, military and cultural-historical, situational and complex values, which can be evident in, among other things, the camouflage executed in artificial village-like structure, the specific location with (originally) unobstructed views across the entire airfield, and the coherence with and of the total military airfield concept and the spatial main lines and components of the camp.