Nouverture

The history of the Twentse Schouwburg (Twenthe Theatre) starts in 1889. A theatre building designed by Reijers and Van Gendt was erected in the centre of Enschede on the Langestraat (Long Street) not far from the present city hall (built between 1930 and '33). In 1952 the theatre was expanded by adding a much larger auditorium (Grote Zaal) on the back. In 1985 the old auditorium (Kleine Zaal) was remodelled. In 2001 a new organisation was founded to include all podium arts and venues in Enschede. Within this concept a new theatre was needed as the old one would need extensive remodelling. So a new complex called the Wilminktheater was opened in 2008 and the large 1950s auditorium was torn down for new housing and shops. The old auditorium was restored and is since known as De Kleine Willem (literally Little William, a reference to the famous local lyricist and poet Willem Wilmink).

In 2008 a combination of a commercial developer and a housing association won a design competition for the redevelopment of the old theatre site. They included some parts of the old theatre buildings in their new concept that comprises of luxurious apartments, social rented housing and commercial space along a series of walkways between the Walstraat (Wall Street) and Langestraat. The development was dubbed Nouverture a contraction of the French words nous (us), nouveau (new) and ouverture (opening).

In the redevelopment of the old city theatre the front facade was kept including the statues by Jawik Krudde (created 1984) representing harlequins and clowns as a reference to sixteenth century Italian theatre. This lifelike artwork is most surreal after dark as their faces are lit by the lamps they hold and strange shadows are cast on the facade and the pavement.

Happy New Year

 I wish you all the best for 2016; may every new day bring you amazement!

Bookworming

I'm one of those people that likes to read books, yes even those without pictures. I have always read books and have no intention of stopping! Sat here I'm actually surrounded by books floor to ceiling 8 shelves high. Most of these books I've read once, some have been reread and others are often consulted. Some of these books I've actually mentioned on this blog: e.g. The Scatered City, Building the Workingman's Paradise, Garden Cities of To-morrow, Nothing gained by overcrowding,Tuinsteden, Das Englische Haus and The Garden City Utopia.

This Christmas I received a new copy of Ebenezer Howards seminal book Garden Cities of To-morrow, as I had lent my first book to a graduate student years ago and have been without since (I must mention said student is adement he returned the book, but I have moved house twice since, so it might have been misplaced rather than lost). So now the book has been returned to its rightfull place next to Tuinsteden by G. Feenstra, the must-read for understanding garden villages in the Low Countries.I am lucky to have an original from 1920. My next read will be another festive present: The Lego Architect.

The remnants of Friedrichshof, Essen

A few blocks of the Friedrichshof estate still stand. These Gartenhof-type buildings are situated along the Kaupenstrasse and Hölderlinstrasse. These buildings are the only remnants of the second building phase of this estate. Of the first building phase, with a formal square on the Mörikenstrasse, nothing remains.

The distinctive architecture of the Friedrichshof in the typical Landhaus Architektur is made all the more clear in the contrast with the later replacement blocks of flats (on the left of the picture). The Gartenhof blocks of the Friedrichshof Estate are more horizontal in design than those of the Alfredshof.

The architecture, again by Schmohl of the Baubüro Krupp, does know vertical accents, mostly in the shape of gable ends and turrets. Here the two gable ends flank  loggias. Special attention has been paid to the gables at the end of each block. These are often shapely with a scalloped edge (shown on the right).

Part of the Hölderlinstrasse still has the original blocks on either side, giving a good impression of the original intentions. There was a green verge planted with trees. Now the streets are dominated by cars, the communal gardens are, however, free from parking.

Hanging bays -or oriels- have been used to great effect to break the boxiness of the blocks and add interest on the otherwise long facades. Note how the decorative brick band runs along the bottom of the oriel. With the refurbishment of the flats new balconies have been added. As these could not be safely fixed to the building they have been constructed as a separate construction.

On the Fredrichshof Estate no gates were built to give access to the communal gardens within the super blocks, instead the buildings form separated sections with extra attention paid to the corners. Here the corners have little turrets.

The entrance on the corner with the stairwell in the turret (left) is a variation on the normal entrance treatment with an awning over a door that gives access to a  stairwell.

The communal gardens are basically small parks with trees, shrubs, grass, and the occasional playground.

The remnants of Alfredshof, Essen

Only a small section of Alfredshof 2 remains, situated around the junction of the Keplerstrasse and Simonstrasse. It is a typical Gartenhof with three storey apartment buildings wrapping around communal garden with gates and passages in between.

One of the corners of the so-called Simonsblock shows the Landhaus Architektur of Schmohl in a scenic amalgamation of gable ends dormers, turrets, banding, balconies and window bays.

The evangelical church was also bombed so a new building was erected in a modernist vernacular with a lively clock tower (left). The entrance to the inner garden of the block west of the Simonstrasse is formed by this decorative gable end set back at the corner.

A look back at the street from underneath the passage. The passage deliberately has a dark colour to maximise the effect of light and dark.

The architecture of the long blocks emphasises the vertical with the use of gable ends, window bays and the arrangement of windows in vertical lines. The architecture is very eclectic, mixing various style references into a new type with a distinctive feel.The entrances always get special treatment.

The streets are now dominated by parked cars. Originally the wide streets had green verges planted with trees between the road and the pavements on either side. The trees first planted were mainly fruit trees, but these didn't grow that well between the high blocks.

Between seperate blocks (with their own adress) these gates wer used as a way of creating a continuous building line edging either the street or the communal garden. These gardens were mostly laid to gras with trees and shrubs planted around the edges. Some gardens had statues, a fountain or a playground.

The lenght of these blocks can be clearly seen on the edge of the three remaining Gartenhöfe where long facades line the street.