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In 2017, the restoration of the Zuiderkerk (1603-1614) was completed with the renovation of its tower. This striking tower, designed by Hendrick de Keyser (1565-1621), dominates the silhouette of the eastern part of Amsterdam’s city centre. It consists of a brick base, a sandstone octagon with columns and a wooden spire clad in lead and slate. The tower, which was last restored in 1978, was in need of a complete restoration due to salt efflorescence in the brickwork and rust damage to the natural stone. In addition, the lead of the spire needed renovation. The lead had been painted in a Bentheimer stone colour in 1978, as was the sandstone part of the tower. This change in the colour composition was a result of the ‘white tower plan’ of the Public Works Department, which had started in 1966, when the Montelbaanstoren was painted white. The aim was to paint all lead claddings of seventeenthcentury towers white, based on the idea that the white layer found on the lead cladding of the towers was a remnant of an original finish. When laboratory analysis showed that in the case of the Zuiderkerk this layer was the product of a chemical reaction in the lead and not a finishing coat, painting nevertheless continued, on the grounds that this would show that the city was looking after its heritage.
When the most recent restoration of 2015-2017 showed that most of the lead needed to be renewed, the verquestion arose as to whether the 1978 colour composition should be maintained. Subsequent painting had caused the crown of the tower to turn a strange pale pink, which did nothing to improve the appearance of the tower architecture. Initially, the Archivolt firm of architects proposed leaving the lead unpainted and painting the sandstone octagon of the tower in a matching blue-grey colour. This proposal was based on historical colour analysis, the available iconographic material and comparisons with other Amsterdam towers. However, an analysis of the tower and the tower design was lacking. Finally, in consultation with the architect, the current colour scheme was chosen, in which the sandstone was painted in sandstone colour and the lead retained its natural dark colour, resulting in a tower with a clear colour contrast. The justification for this was provided by studying the history of construction and alterations found in literature, archival sources, iconographic material, building and historical colour research. This was supplemented by an analysis of the architecture of the tower, which ultimately played a decisive role. This article is a reworking of and addition to the analysis carried out in 2016. The example of the Zuiderkerkstoren shows how this classical method of architecture and design analysis, which is rarely used in restorations, can be helpful in deciding on the correct type and degree of restoration.
In 2017, the restoration of the Zuiderkerk (1603-1614) was completed with the renovation of its tower. This striking tower, designed by Hendrick de Keyser (1565-1621), dominates the silhouette of the eastern part of Amsterdam’s city centre. It consists of a brick base, a sandstone octagon with columns and a wooden spire clad in lead and slate. The tower, which was last restored in 1978, was in need of a complete restoration due to salt efflorescence in the brickwork and rust damage to the natural stone. In addition, the lead of the spire needed renovation. The lead had been painted in a Bentheimer stone colour in 1978, as was the sandstone part of the tower. This change in the colour composition was a result of the ‘white tower plan’ of the Public Works Department, which had started in 1966, when the Montelbaanstoren was painted white. The aim was to paint all lead claddings of seventeenthcentury towers white, based on the idea that the white layer found on the lead...
In 2017, the restoration of the Zuiderkerk (1603-1614) was completed with the renovation of its tower. This striking tower, designed by Hendrick de Keyser (1565-1621), dominates the silhouette of the eastern part of Amsterdam’s city centre. It consists of a brick base, a sandstone octagon...
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The Rietveld Schröder House (1924) in Utrecht is the only private home among the ten UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Netherlands. In 1987 it was opened to the public as a museum house and since 2013 it has been part of the collection of Utrecht’s Centraal Museum. The world-famous house was designed by the architect Gerrit T. Rietveld (1888-1964) in close collaboration with the client, Truus Schröder-Schräder (1889-1985). During the 1970s and ’80s the house was comprehensively restored by the architect Bertus Mulder (b. 1929), who had worked with Rietveld for a brief period in the early 1960s. Thanks to a Keeping it Modern Grant from the Getty Foundation these restorations have now been put on a sound scientific footing by means of archival research, technical analysis and oral history.
The materialization of internal and external walls, in plasterwork and paintwork, was a crucial aspect of Rietveld’s design ideas. Unsurprisingly, problems with the plaster and the choice of colour scheme turned out to be key areas of concern in the restorations. During the restoration of the exterior, Mulder largely stripped back the external skin of the house. Although he investigated the composition of the existing plaster, the finishing coats and the colours, this can no longer be verified because no samples or documentation relating to these matters were preserved. Mulder consulted experts about the composition of the restoration plaster, but he determined the new colour scheme himself, relying on his familiarity with Rietveld’s work and use of colour. Mulder and Mrs Schröder were both very keen for the restoration to restore the house as much as possible to its original condition in the 1920s. When it came to the restoration of the interior, which was carried out after Schröder’s death in 1985, Mulder and the client, Stichting Rietveld Schröderhuis, adopted the same guiding principle. The key concerns were not the history of the house and its occupation, but Rietveld’s original design and his ideas about space. Accordingly, the upper floor was completely stripped back and its inner skin fully renovated. Remarkably, the heritage agencies did not take issue with this approach and nor did they supervise the work.
During the recent research project, remnants of the original plaster and finishing coats dating from one or another of the Rietveld ‘periods’ were discovered on external wall surfaces and in a couple of ground-floor rooms. These provide possible starting points for material research for a subsequent restoration. The article reflects on the various meanings of the concept of authenticity that are employed to legitimize certain choices in restoration work. They contribute to casuistry, but offer no clear guiding principles for restorations. Instead of emphasizing a single aspect, there is much to be said for taking a broader, holistic view of this ‘recreation’ of Rietveld. And for that there are any number of research themes worth pursuing, such as the historiography, the house and De Stijl, the role and significance of Truus Schröder as designer, the occupational history, and furnishing concepts for a museum house.
The Rietveld Schröder House (1924) in Utrecht is the only private home among the ten UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Netherlands. In 1987 it was opened to the public as a museum house and since 2013 it has been part of the collection of Utrecht’s Centraal Museum. The world-famous house was designed by the architect Gerrit T. Rietveld (1888-1964) in close collaboration with the client, Truus Schröder-Schräder (1889-1985). During the 1970s and ’80s the house was comprehensively restored by the architect Bertus Mulder (b. 1929), who had worked with Rietveld for a brief period in the early 1960s. Thanks to a Keeping it Modern Grant from the Getty Foundation these restorations have now been put on a sound scientific footing by means of archival research, technical analysis and oral history.
The materialization of internal and external walls, in plasterwork and paintwork, was a crucial aspect of Rietveld’s design ideas. Unsurprisingly, problems with the plaster and...
The Rietveld Schröder House (1924) in Utrecht is the only private home among the ten UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Netherlands. In 1987 it was opened to the public as a museum house and since 2013 it has been part of the collection of Utrecht’s Centraal Museum. The world-famous house...
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In the former fortress town of Naarden, the exterior woodwork of the military buildings from both the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries is still painted in a dark shade of green known as ‘monumentengroen’. The colour plays an important role in the buildings’ appearance. The owner of the fortifications, Stichting Monumenten Bezit (SMB), had doubts about the historical authenticity of this colour because previous colour research had revealed the presence of a lighter shade of green beneath the dark Monumentengroen. Accordingly, in 2018, in advance of a scheduled refurbishment of the exterior paintwork, another chromatic analysis was carried out in collaboration with Josefien Tegelaar of Josefien & Co. The firm investigated the colour finish on three external doors from the period 1872–1879. At the same time, SMB conducted supplementary archival research in the hope of unearthing a record of the earlier colour composition used on external doors and shutters. This article presents the results of the colour analysis and also shows that the colour used in military architecture was carefully considered and predetermined.
Archival research showed that the exterior woodwork of military buildings in the Netherlands was painted in English Red until around 1860, after which the mandated colour changed to dark grey. Interestingly, the dark grey was only used for a very short time: during a major upgrade of the Naarden fortress between 1872 and 1879, the colour of the exterior woodwork changed from dark grey to blue-green. More information about the composition of the blue-green came to light while consulting the archives held by the Information Centre of the National Military Museum. The ‘Algemeene Voorwaarden voor de uitvoering van werken en leveringen voor den dienst der Genie’ (General Conditions for the execution of works and provision of supplies for the Fortifications Department, or AV), contain specifications regarding the construction of Dutch military buildings and provide conclusive evidence as to the prescribed materials and the manner of execution.
The colours red, grey and green discovered during the archival and colour research, were also found in microscopic paint analysis of a paint sample from a watergate in the Oud Molen bastion. The microscopic analysis revealed that the green had been used more generally. It was made up of Prussian or Berlin blue, yellow and an addition such as Spanish green, which gave the green a bluish tinge. This, too, was specified by the AV.
This colour research was conducted for the Naarden fort, but it can in fact be applied to all Dutch forts and fortress towns. As a result of the research results, the SMB decided to reinstate the historical blue-green colour on external doors and shutters of seventeenth- and nineteenth-century military buildings and is currently carrying out a phased change of colour in the fortress.
In the former fortress town of Naarden, the exterior woodwork of the military buildings from both the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries is still painted in a dark shade of green known as ‘monumentengroen’. The colour plays an important role in the buildings’ appearance. The owner of the fortifications, Stichting Monumenten Bezit (SMB), had doubts about the historical authenticity of this colour because previous colour research had revealed the presence of a lighter shade of green beneath the dark Monumentengroen. Accordingly, in 2018, in advance of a scheduled refurbishment of the exterior paintwork, another chromatic analysis was carried out in collaboration with Josefien Tegelaar of Josefien & Co. The firm investigated the colour finish on three external doors from the period 1872–1879. At the same time, SMB conducted supplementary archival research in the hope of unearthing a record of the earlier colour composition used on external doors and shutters. This...
In the former fortress town of Naarden, the exterior woodwork of the military buildings from both the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries is still painted in a dark shade of green known as ‘monumentengroen’. The colour plays an important role in the buildings’ appearance. The owner of...
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Boekbespreking van een boek geschreven door Fred Ahsmann.
Boekbespreking van een boek geschreven door Fred Ahsmann.
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Boekbespreking van een boek geschreven door Joost Coté, Hugh O’Neill, Helen Ibbitson Jessup & Pauline van Roosmalen.
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Boekbespreking van een boek geschreven door Thomas Coomans.
Boekbespreking van een boek geschreven door Thomas Coomans.
Boekbespreking van een boek geschreven door Thomas Coomans.
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Boekbespreking van een boek geschreven door Erik Betten en Simone Verlaat (red.).
Boekbespreking van een boek geschreven door Erik Betten en Simone Verlaat (red.).
Boekbespreking van een boek geschreven door Erik Betten en Simone Verlaat (red.).