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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

BOEZEM PUMPINGHOUSE, built in the years 1951-1954 in the style of the Shake Hands movement after design by architects M.P. Schutte and B. Buurman (designer of the pumpinghouse in Gouda). In technical respects the pumpinghouse was designed in 1951 by engineering firm 'Dwars, Heederik en Verhey' (DHV) from Amersfoort. The pumpinghouse building is provided with commemorative stones, a bronze sculpture on bronze console with inscription "Willem I Count of Holland" in remembrance of the importance of Willem I for water management, designed by L.O. Wenckebach and cast at the Binder bronze foundry, the coat of arms of Rijnland and two reliefs of a mermaid and a merman by Hans Petri. The pumpinghouse is situated on the north side of the village of Katwijk and has a functional and spatial relationship with a sluice and lock, which around 1984 was replaced by new construction with reuse of commemorative stones from the old lock of the early 19th century. The pumpinghouse lies on a landscape-historically very significant location, where for centuries there have been water-controlling works (locks and a steam pumpinghouse as predecessor) and pumping of the Rijnland boezem. At few places is the discharge of water more striking to see than here: the inlet (boezem canal) is very wide and the pumpinghouse discharges via the lock chamber with outer sluice onto the North Sea. The landscape surroundings (including watercourse) have been adapted by the strengthening of the seawall, but this development is legible. The machinery of the pumpinghouse has been modified (2006-2010). The pumpinghouse was equipped with both diesel engines and an electric motor. This was done frequently at important pumpinghouses on account of risk distribution. The pumps with a concrete snail housing formed part of a technological development that gained great importance in the post-war reconstruction. In total the pumpinghouse was equipped with three vertical screw pumps with an average pumping capacity of 53.8 cubic metres per second. Two pumps were driven by diesel engines with a power of 515 kW each. One pump was driven by an electric motor with a power of 478 kW. The diesel engines and associated pumps have been replaced by electric motors; the old ones are preserved in Papendrecht (museum) and Twente (private). On the intake side of the pumpinghouse an automatic bar screen cleaner has been installed. On the north side the pumpinghouse has been extended (in an annex) with a 4th pump. The maximum pump capacity thereby increases to 94 m³/sec.

Description

The BOEZEM PUMPINGHOUSE, erected on an L-shaped ground plan, consists of three storeys with the first storey at water level, the second at ground level and one floor above; on the north-east side a single-storey extension. The construction is formed by concrete portals, visible in the facades as columns, which also form the rhythm of the architecture, and within which a division of different materials: large glass panes, fair-faced brickwork in English bond, rubble masonry, decorative concrete elements with glass brick and natural stone. The flat roof is finished with clinker-isocrete light concrete. The windows, doors and panes are of bronze. The west facade along the dyke has fair-faced brickwork at the ends and between them seven bays emphasized by the concrete column construction. Each bay is built up from a substantial window area at ground floor level, rectangular concrete elements with round glass bricks at mid-level and a recessed low window area as termination. At the far right the sculpture of Willem I on a console. The west facade borders directly on the dyke (Binnensluis) and is separated from it by a low white-painted tubular frame fence. The east facade has a substructure bordering the water, built up from natural stone masonry with small recessed window openings with concrete frames. A concrete stair with white-painted handrail gives access to this substructure. Along the east facade run concrete walkways with tubular frame railings, supported on concrete piers in the boezem water. The south facade (front facade) has a division into three bays of which the ground floor is entirely occupied by large window areas with centrally the main entrance, above which is a band with the three natural stone reliefs. The central axis is emphasized by a large window area on the floor above, flanked by closed natural stone panels. The north facade has five bays, of which on the left two of the single-storey extension. The ground floor has centrally a window area with door entrance and on either side two window areas on a masonry base. The right bay is emphasized on the floor above by a slightly projecting window area (bay window), to its left two identical panels with fair-faced brickwork and a window placed in the left upper corner. In the natural stone base commemorative stones.

Interior: The functional layout includes a basement for the pumps, not visible from the street side. The ground floor is arranged for the most part as a machine room, with at the end the monumental entrance hall, provided with a spiral stair (to floor above with balcony in machine room) and a travertine floor and steps, furthermore utility rooms. The other end contains a workshop, utility room and a spiral stair around a masonry shaft. The interior has a high-quality finish including natural stone (hall), tilework, doors with hinges and locks, steel stairs with wooden treads and a heartwood floor. Furthermore switchpanels and accessories.

Valuation

The BOEZEM PUMPINGHOUSE is of general cultural and architectural-historical importance: - as a distinguished representative of the Shake Hands movement; - on account of the careful design, decorative use of materials, applied art and the high-quality finish of the interior; - on account of the intact and original state in which it is maintained; - as the largest pumpinghouse of Rijnland; - as an important part of Dutch industrial heritage; - on account of urban planning and functional and spatial ensemble values with the water structure and the outer sluice; - as testimony to water management history through its location at this site which for centuries has played an important role in water management; - as a functioning link in the water management of the Netherlands; - on account of the striking and free location as a link in the water structure.