Adventkerk

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

The N.H. ADVENTKERK dating from 1958 with ACCESS PATH WITH LAMPS ANNEX BENCHES, designed by Karel Lodewijk Sijmons, constitutes a milestone in (Protestant) church architecture. Karel Sijmons gained great recognition through his highly innovative Protestant (Dutch Reformed) church designs. In 1946 he wrote the authoritative book 'Protestant Church Building', in which he expressed concern about both the restoration of historic churches and contemporary new construction. He carried out studies into authentic Protestant churches from after the Reformation and the modified furnishing of originally Roman Catholic churches. From this he drew conclusions about what gave a church a typically Protestant character in its use of colour (the choice for white render with simple colour accents on structurally important components) and its furnishing (the Word and the Sacraments formed the spatial centre of the church, whereby the emphasis on the longitudinal direction was abandoned). With his study Sijmons laid the foundation for his later, widely-praised church designs. Sijmons was captivated by the architecture of Le Corbusier. The chapel of Ronchamps was a major source of inspiration. The Dutch Reformed Adventkerk in Aerdenhout was designed entirely according to Le Corbusier's modular system. The building houses various functions which flow organically into one another, but are clearly distinguished from each other by height differences and forms. Sijmons was very pleased with the free location on a spacious plot without 'residential building blocks, rigid in their formlessness, as partners usually unusable in the interplay of volumes'. Sijmons deliberately chose the 'simplest' materials such as grey concrete with exposed formwork left visible, gravel tiles, rough pine wood and white walls. To emphasise their importance for the liturgy, the Communion table and the font were executed in white marble. The font stands in the middle of the church interior, so that the child being baptised is literally taken up in the midst of the congregation in the church. The importance of Sijmons' churches lies especially in the fact that he was the first to actually give architectural form to innovations in Protestant liturgy. The combination of functions for worship and community work in one building furthermore reflects the then still relatively new views on the role of the church in society, which was to perform more social and civic functions. The exterior of the Adventkerk is still entirely original, but a number of modifications to the interior designed by architect Cees Dam led to fierce discussions in the years 2003-2006. A new window (south wall of the church interior), soundboards, a bench and a side wall along the 'Way of the Cross without stations' have been added. Some interior walls at the consistory room, minister's room and in the community spaces have been modified. On the exterior a colonnaded gallery has been added, which was on Sijmons' drawings but was never executed. The greatest modification concerns the gravel floor, which has been replaced with black slate. The floor in the church interior has been installed reversibly. The Adventkerk is freely situated on a large plot in a wooded environment.

Description

The ADVENTKERK is constructed of concrete and brick and consists of two wings placed crosswise. The wings comprise a number of building volumes flowing organically into one another. The different functions are emphasised in the architecture through differences in form and height and differences in light entry. The walls are partly curved, partly positioned at right angles to each other. The colour scheme is white (painted brick) and grey (untreated concrete). The main entrance is located centrally in the west facade of the building. An ACCESS PATH of gravel tiles laid in a geometric pattern leads to it. The path is flanked by concrete LAMPS ANNEX BENCHES in the form of musical notes. To the left (north) of the main entrance of the Adventkerk lies the church interior, consisting of a tall rectangular space with three slightly curved roof trusses. The west facade of the church interior consists of an abstract glass-in-concrete composition with coloured glass. On both sides of the church interior is a lower extension with a flat roof. The extension on the north side has blind gables and runs in a curved line behind the east facade as far as the bell tower. In this extension are the Communion room and the corridor with 'Way of the Cross without stations' (designation for the blind white interior wall on the east side). The extension on the south side of the church interior is rectangular. It contains the vestibule to the church interior. The extension is almost blind, except for a limited number of glass building blocks placed in a geometric pattern. To the right (south) of the main entrance is a corridor (entrance hall) and in a rectangular space are the former minister's room and consistory room. Both the corridor and the rooms have glazed side walls, with the corridor recognisable from the series of projecting square concrete windows. The main entrance with double wooden door is also placed in a projecting concrete building element. Directly behind the entrance stands the narrow, rectangular concrete bell tower which has an asymmetrical open space in which the bell hangs. On the bell is the text: 'GOD CALLS'. Behind the minister's and consistory rooms lies the long wing for community work. The wing has a central corridor with on the left, on the north side, the kitchen and toilets. These are recognisable on the exterior as projecting rectangular spaces with rounded corners. On the right are a number of rooms and a hall adjoining one another. They have one long glazed facade with doors and windows. In the INTERIOR of the Adventkerk, in particular the church interior and the corridor (entrance hall) are important. Although modifications have been carried out, the spatial layout has been retained. Without the use of interior walls, the different functions are made visible through their height difference. The tall church interior with low entrance hall and, behind the pillars, the corridor to the low Communion room is preserved. The glass-in-concrete gives the church interior a special colour and light entry. The concrete pulpit, walnut chairs and church benches and white marble Communion table and font, as well as the rough pine wood ceiling, are original and are part of Sijmons' overall design. The original floor of rectangular gravel tiles is still present under the new slate floor.

Valuation

The NH ADVENTKERK with ACCESS PATH with LAMPS ANNEX BENCHES from 1958, designed by K. Sijmons, is of general importance as an essential example of early Post-War Reconstruction, from the perspective of architectural history, urban planning and cultural history: - as a milestone in (Protestant) church architecture and one of the most well-known church designs by Karel Sijmons; Sijmons was the first to actually give architectural form to innovations in Protestant liturgy;

- on account of the inspiration from the designs of Le Corbusier, whereby the modular principle was originally carried through to every detail of the exterior and interior;

- on account of the well-preserved main form, facade division, colour scheme and detailing of the exterior where the spaces with different functions (church interior with its characteristic curved roof trusses, Communion room, entrance vestibule, bell tower, corridor and community work spaces) are recognisable on the exterior;

- on account of the glass-in-concrete composition in the church interior designed by Sijmons;

- on account of the interior, which has been designed as an overall composition and has been preserved almost intact in structure, with at detail level a large number of important elements designed by Sijmons, such as the concrete left exposed with traces of rough wooden formwork, the rough pine wood ceiling, the white painted walls, the Communion room with marble Communion table and associated benches, the marble font, the rough concrete pulpit and the rough wood pews and chairs in the church interior. Under the slate floor the original gravel floor of large rectangular sections laid in a regular pattern is still present;

- on account of the free location on a large plot in the wooded environment without any further building, which Sijmons regarded as a great advantage; - on account of the access path to the main entrance under the bell tower, which forms part of the overall design, with concrete lighting annex benches on either side; the path, with its geometric layout, formed the overture to the former rectangular floor sections in the interior;

- as a reflection of the changing role of the church in society through the combination of functions for both worship and community work in one building;

- on account of the highly innovative idea for that time of placing the font in the middle of the church interior so that the child being baptised was literally taken up in the midst of the congregation.