Weverij De Ploeg

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

FACTORY BUILDING, belonging to the weaving mill complex De Ploeg, with curved shed roofs, whereby four longer and four shorter sheds are placed next to each other so that an L-shape has been created. For the shed roofs, the then advanced Zeiss-Dywidag system of prestressed concrete was applied. The curved concrete shells are only seventy millimetres thick. The dimensions were tuned to the wide weaving looms, "form follows function". The architecture is determined to a large extent by the rhythmic appearance of the west facade where eight sheds are closed off one after another by somewhat tilted and obliquely placed facade sections, staggered in relation to each other between which, in line with the glazing of the sheds, partly opaque glass has been placed down to ground level. The facades are clad with concrete slabs, the jointing of which accentuates the tilting and oblique placement; in the left facade section an entrance gateway enclosed by a fence is incorporated, in the fifth section from the left tall doors with red, white, blue and black panels. The north facade (vertical) consists largely of steel frames in which (double) glass, partly of iron grilles (west side). Above this a concrete parapet. Against the east facade of the short sheds, on the south side, is the entrance in a flatly covered extension, consisting of large windows and a closed facade section. The entrance is marked by a relatively large covered outdoor space supported by nine steel posts. The south facades consist largely of double glass in steel frames, on the west side a closed section with concrete slabs in which a panel with doors and coloured panels. The closure of the sheds is at both short east facades flat, with concrete slabs (western part) and yellow brick (eastern part). Above both facades again a concrete parapet; to the eastern part the glass facade extends under a flat roof. At the far east side a recent extension.

In the interior, partitions on the north side are still present by means of predominantly glazed panels in steel frames. For the rest, the space is predominantly undivided, with light entry through the shed roof from the north, so that the colours could be properly assessed. Thanks to the extensive glazing in the north and south facade, the employees could enjoy the green surroundings, to which the design by Mien Ruys paid much attention. The advanced roof structure made large spans possible; there are therefore a limited number of concrete posts which in a V-shape support the sheds. Part of stainless steel drainage remains in place. For the floor, seamless cast plastic was originally applied, part of which is still present. In the eastern section lowered ceilings of steel grilles, where offices were located.

On the field next to the entrance on the south side stand five rotatable test panels on steel supports, where the colour fastness of the fabrics could be tested under different sunlight incidence.

Valuation

FACTORY BUILDING, designed by Gerrit Rietveld with technical advice from G. Beltman, of general cultural-historical and architectural-historical importance as an international milestone in modernist factory architecture:

- through the inventive application of thin-walled concrete shell roofs, the Zeiss-Dywidag system;

- because of the dimensions tuned to production with wide weaving looms, "form follows function";

- because of the high-quality aesthetic qualities including through the tilting in the west facade, the rhythm, the curved sheds, the glass facades;

- because of the importance in Rietveld's oeuvre, as his first design for a factory;

- because of the ensemble value through the coherence of the design with the garden design;

- because of the recognizable socially idealistic and environmental technical aspects in the design.