Weg, Parkkade 30

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

Complex component 1

Introduction

Northern ACCESS BUILDING to the cyclist and pedestrian tunnel, forming part of the Maastunnel Complex. The southern access building on the opposite side of the river has been treated as a pendant and has the same characteristics.

N.B. In the interior the original lighting has been replaced by light boxes with fluorescent light. The glass display cases in the walls of the escalator shaft have disappeared.

Description

The ACCESS BUILDING, comprising one storey and a basement, is constructed on a rectangular floor plan in a reinforced concrete structure, founded on special timber piles of Oregon pine. The building has a low hipped roof, the ends of which curl upwards in a pagoda-like manner. Between the roof cornice and the wall there is a strip with copper air vents. The roof, a structure of wooden roof trusses, is covered with green oxidised copper plates. The walls are externally clad with orange-brown glazed tiles above a plinth of dark brown glazed tiles. The doors and windows are set in steel profiles and have fine glazing bars. On the east side there is a lower extension with rounded corners and a flat, slightly rising and far projecting roof with copper cladding. On the east and north sides there is the access portal, consisting of four tall steel double doors with rectangular windows with intermediate columns, also clad with glazed tiles. In the canopy above the entrances there are lamps above the doors. On the south side the extension continues into a semi-circular volume for the service room, which is connected by a stair to the machine basement. The service room has narrow rectangular windows. On the south side four tall rectangular windows offer views over the river. On the west side an extension, with the vault above the escalator. The hall, clad with simple rectangular cream-coloured tiles, provides access to the underground escalator shaft. This consists of a reinforced concrete duct containing four escalators (two for ascending and two for descending traffic). The escalators, driven by a system of worm gear and spur gear transmission by electric motors, were supplied by the Berlin firm Carl Flohr A.G., in cooperation with Stork and Hysch N.V. from Haarlem. The steps of the escalators for cyclists and pedestrians, just over a metre wide, are of timber as are the guardrails of the handrails. In the vault of the escalator shaft there is a mosaic panel by Rotterdam visual artist J. Gidding: in the centre a medallion of fish and stylised waves, flanked by mermaids. At the lower part tunnel traffic (cars, lorries, cyclists and pedestrians) is depicted and at the upper part shipping (steam and sailing ships) on the Maas.

Valuation

Northern ACCESS BUILDING as a historic-functional component of the Maastunnel complex, together with the ventilation building a dominant architectural element on the northern Maas bank with pendant on the southern bank side, of general importance because of its great cultural and architectural-historical value, as well as because of its urban planning and structural-technical innovative value. Within the oeuvre of architect Van der Steur, the Maastunnel building occupies an important position.