Landhuis, Van Ommerenlaan 2

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 1: indicated on the accompanying map with no. 1

MAIN BUILDING COUNTRY HOUSE Rust en Vreugd located on the eponymous historic country estate. The villa-like country house was designed in 1923 on commission of the married couple Van Ommeren-de Voogt in eclectic style with Art Deco and Egyptian influences by their house architect S. de Clercq. De Clercq designed the house in close collaboration with Mr. Van Ommeren. Possibly a villa in Cairo, which the married couple Van Ommeren-de Voogt had seen during one of their travels, served as inspiration for the new country house. Originally the country house was only inhabited by the married couple Van Ommeren-de Voogt during the summer months, however after a few years it became the permanent residence of the couple. After the demolition of the old country house Rust en Vreugd, the new country house became the only main building of the country estate. In 1936 the house was extended with a covered terrace with seven columns. In the 1990s the house was restored and renovated internally and externally by the owner Mr. Smeets. The detached, partly cellared whitewashed building on a brick plinth projecting slightly is erected on a complex ground plan and consists of two storeys under a flat roof. The slightly projecting roof edge is supported by consoles. The facades feature horizontal articulation: cornice bands and a frieze with cassettes. The windows in the facade are framed and provided with a granite sill - some fitted with louvre shutters. There are single and composite windows with leaded glass in geometric pattern; inward-opening windows, some with twisted bars, some with roller blinds. The windows are furthermore provided with wooden or iron sliding interior shutters. The main entrance is located centrally in the front facade facing the park and is flanked by a projecting building section with two windows on the ground floor and three narrow, coupled windows on the upper storey. A curved granite staircase with integrated flower boxes provides access to the double wooden entrance door with cassettes flanked by a window and situated under a canopy supported by cast-iron columns. Directly above the canopy, beneath the drip moulding, a window strip for lighting the hall and on the upper storey a loggia with piers provided with a capital featuring stylised leaf motifs; behind the loggia three arched windows. The side facades are expanded with later single-storey building volumes; on the right side a second (service) entrance under a small canopy. The rear facade with terrace on the pond side is articulated by large pilasters across both residential storeys and is decorated with allegorical sculptures symbolizing the four seasons. The facade is characterised by a centrally projecting conservatory with bevelled corners and covered by a dome-shaped copper roof; above it a balcony. Furthermore the facade is provided with large window expanses. In front of the entire facade lies a granite terrace with a double staircase towards the garden. In the INTERIOR provisions have been made to meet the extreme security requirements of Mr. Van Ommeren, such as the installation of an iron grille and iron interior doors between the connecting doors to the living room. A striking element is furthermore formed by the radiator casings, which occur throughout the house. The radiator casing in the dining room is also intended to keep plates warm. On either side this is executed in neo-style with drawers and hinged doors, containing wrought iron with a sawn decorative pattern. Furthermore, in the interior which has remained virtually intact, the following are of importance: the symmetrically arranged ground plan with a dominant entrance area and 'hall' with draught vestibule at the rear. At the rear of the house the reception/waiting room and service rooms are situated. On the representative garden side are the living rooms. In the entrance portico two garden benches, which together with the garden bench in the park (estate component 15) form one ensemble. In the 'hall', which forms the heart of the house, a richly decorated 17th-century fireplace, consisting of natural stone caryatids supporting the oak fireplace. The fireplace furthermore features a hearth plate and terracotta hearth tiles with coats of arms in bas-relief. In the 'hall' an oak panel wainscoting and red tile floor, which continues into the wardrobe, the draught vestibule and the toilet room. Here too are the original wall and floor tiles in Art Deco style. The ceiling of the 'hall' has a timber ceiling with skylights in leaded glass. In the service staircase the original tiles, alternating black and white marble steps. Originally the dining room was provided with 17th-century panelling with a special 17th-century gold leather wall covering. The interior room was purchased in 1921 by Ph. Van Ommeren from Mak in Amsterdam, restored and made to measure for Rust en Vreugd. The interior originated from a house in Dordrecht (Voorstraat 282 and later moved to Prinsenstraat 53) and in 2001 was moved back to Dordrecht to the patrician house Simon van Gijn. The ceiling on the window side is partly executed with cassettes and projecting floral motif. The tropical wood used in the study room was also ordered by Van Ommeren and was worked in by De Clercq under his instruction. The study room is executed in Neo-Queen-Anne style with continuous wainscoting all around, in which radiator and other casings are also incorporated. The room features a richly executed stucco ceiling with soffit, provided with garlands. This latter motif also appears in the marble fireplace and hearth plate. The glass doors are executed with panes in a geometric pattern. The living room has a stucco ceiling, partly with oriental star motif, original ceiling-height wainscoting in Neo-Queen-Anne style, in which is incorporated a very large fixed cabinet with glass doors. Between the sitting room and the bay window a roller blind with pulley. The loggia is provided with columns with capitals in stylised lotus motif. In one of the capitals the signature "PVO". In the loggia a tile panel set in by Mr. Smeets, which was presented to Mr. Van Ommeren by the staff after the house was completed and which shows the house as it was initially realized. Throughout the house, with the exception of the study, the original ceilings (all stuccoed in different individual motifs) and floors (both parquet and tiles in original patterns) have been preserved. At the rear of the house there are terraces with the original black-and-white tiles, laid in a geometric pattern. Parapet and plinth are constructed with edge-set brick, hand-moulded sintered stone.

Valuation

COUNTRY HOUSE of the historic country estate Rust en Vreugd is of general importance due to architectural and cultural-historical value

- as a representative example of an early 20th-century villa-like country house, to the design of S. de Clercq;

- due to the integrity of the house in main form, material use and detail;

- due to the architectural design in eclectic style with Art Deco influences;

- for the work of the architect;

- due to the well-preserved interior;

- due to the prominent location within the historic garden and park layout;

- due to the functional-spatial relationship with the other components of the country estate.