Paleis, Amsterdamsestraatweg 1

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

Component 1. Main Building.

MAIN BUILDING (Paleis Soestdijk) of the historic country estate Soestdijk. At some distance from the Amsterdamsestraatweg stands the palace which came into being in different phases and whose current appearance in Empire style dates from 1815-1821. The exterior of the rendered building is now almost uniformly white. The core of the palace is formed by a corps de logis of 5 bays in width, which was erected in 1674 or shortly thereafter. This rectangular building volume was extended between 1674 and 1678 for King-Stadtholder Willem III with wings on either side and a rear (garden) hall according to the design of architect Maurits Post in sober Dutch classical style. The 17th-century corps de logis is still clearly recognisable (building mass, construction, floor plan layout, cellars). In the interior, walls and ceilings were painted with hunting scenes by Melchior d'Hondecoeter, landscapes by Johannes Glauber and mythological representations by Gerard de Lairesse - most of the paintings are now in the Rijksmuseum. The two small outbuildings on either side of the garden hall date from 1806-1808 and were built at the commission of Louis Napoleon. Architect Jean Thomas Thibault acted as official head of the Royal building service. His assistant Jan David Zocher sr. was in fact the architect for the palace. The work furthermore included extensions with a chapel and a library, various internal alterations, the rendering of the facades and the alteration of the windows. Finally, from 1815 to 1821 under the direction of architect Jan de Greef and Zeger Reijers the large-scale extension takes place with pavilions on either side and curved side wings with columned galleries. At that time the main building was also provided with a belvedere and the entire building was rendered white. In the following years a number of alterations were carried out. Around 1900 the open columned galleries were closed in with glass partitions. A large-scale alteration and modernisation of the northern wing took place in 1936-1939 by architects J. de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk and A.J. van der Steur.

The thirteen-bay-wide corps de logis contains a basement, two storeys, an attic under a hipped roof tiled with tiles and crowned by a belvedere. The front facade has a central risalit of five bays in width with the entrance section centrally at a semicircular portico. On either side of the main section a small one-storey wing with basement adjoins a transversely placed pavilion of two storeys under a tiled roof. The end gable of these intermediate pavilions ends in a pediment. Adjoining stands a curved wing consisting of a basement, one storey and an attic. The wings are provided on the front with a colonnade with Doric columns and are terminated by a pavilion which is virtually the same as the intermediate pavilions, albeit less deep. The rear facade is closed off by three straight walls at a shallow angle.

INTERIOR

The monumental value of the interior with fixed components and moveable items (furnishings and decoration) is exceptionally high. The arrangement of the rooms in the corps de logis and short side wings date from the period 1815-1821. Second floor ceiling painting with master of the hunt and pack (c.1677-1678), originally the ceiling of the vestibule and moved in 1816; room above the vestibule with ceiling painting c.1676-1677. Soestervleugel contained 3 apartments (including that of Prince Hendrik). The Baarnse vleugel also contained three apartments. In the 1930s the layout and arrangement of this wing were substantially altered for the residence of Juliana and Bernard.

For the decoration and arrangement of the rooms four important periods of furnishing can be distinguished linked to important residents of the palace:

I. 1816-1821 under Willem II The most important (late-Empire) rooms according to the design of architect Jan de Greef are the

* Lower vestibule, the staircase and upper vestibule - stately late-Empire entrance section and ceremonial ascent to the stucco room with among others chandelier (1816-'21) and Deventer stair carpet.

* Stucco room - most important reception hall in late-Empire finish executed in marble, stuccowork and scagliola (imitation marble). The stuccowork is probably by C. Castoldi from Rotterdam and scagliola work by J.F. Gigel from Doorn -

* Waterloo room - representative reception space with authentic arrangement and decoration as memorial, painting by J.W. Pieneman, 'The Prince of Orange during the Battle of Quatre-Bras' and rare wallpaper on the wooden panelling. Unique in the Netherlands as a semi-public memorial room -

* the white dining room with antichamber - the official late-Empire dining room -

* Hunting room - late-Empire architecture from 1816-1821 with 17th-century painted ceiling -

II. 1850-1851 under Anna Paulowna

* Leuven room - representative reception space with thematic character and late-Empire finish -

* Hunting room - late-Empire architecture from 1816-1821 with 17th-century painted ceiling and further finish from the period 1850-1851. Unique in the Netherlands as semi-public memorial rooms -

* White dining room - the official late-Empire dining room designed by De Greef, further furnished by Anna Paulowna (1850-1851) and Queen Emma (1879-1934) -

* Cannons room - composition of two historicizing rooms from c.1850, refurbished around 1900 -

III. 1879-1936 under Willem III and Emma/Wilhelmina

* Empire salon - neo-Louis XVI style with painted panelling and ceiling, and components in carton-pierre (cardboard pressed in moulds) -

* Passage - with unique painting from c. 1879 in the style of ancient Pompeii and further with preservation of the late-Empire architecture by De Greef from 1816-1821 -

* Salon and Antichamber Wilhelmina - neo-Louis XVI style with panelling provided with painting and gilding, painted ceiling and overdoor panels -

* Bedroom Wilhelmina - late-Empire architecture with 18th-century neoclassical fireplace mantel -

* White dining room - the official late-Empire dining room designed by De Greef, further furnished by Anna Paulowna (1850-1851) and Queen Emma (1879-1934) -

* Cannons room - composition of two historicizing rooms from c.1850, refurbished around 1900 -

IV. 1936-2004 under Juliana and Bernard

* Blue corridor with staircase - connecting passage between the princely rooms (component of the National Tribute, 1937) designed by architects J. de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk and A.J. van der Steur in international style oriented towards Paris fashion with fixed built-in cabinets, a partially stained-glass glazed ceiling, a section with a painted coffered ceiling and a bronze portal -

* Dining room - private dining room (component of the National Tribute, 1937) designed by architects J. de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk and A.J. van der Steur in international style oriented towards Paris fashion with panelling and stucco ceiling, indirect lighting and stucco reliefs by F.J. van Hall

* Offices

* Library - private sitting room (component of the National Tribute, 1937) designed by architects J. de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk and A.J. van der Steur in international style oriented towards Paris fashion with walnut panelling fitted with glazed bookshelves, stucco ceiling and fireplace section

* Film room - modest variant on the traditional court theatre (component of the National Tribute, 1937) with Gispen armchairs and a film installation

Valuation

MAIN BUILDING (Paleis Soestdijk) of general interest on account of:

- the cultural-historical value through its origin and occupation history in particular on account of its inextricable connection with the House of Orange;

- the architectural-historical value as an important example of a royal residence in the Netherlands and the manner in which this is expressed in the construction and development history and the clearly legible style periods with the associated respective architects and artists;

- the particular importance of the high ensemble value of the interior and interior components through its uniqueness, historical continuity, composition and total design, the completeness, the symbolic and reference function.

- the ensemble value expressed in the functional-spatial relation of the main building, the garden layout and other components of the country estate.