Philipsdorp phase 1A, 1B & 2: picturesque workers housing in Eindhoven

At present only a small portion of the oldest buildings survive as most were torn down with the removal of the Elizabethlaan to accommodate a bigger football stadium. This block of terraced housing on the Gagelstraat still survives and gives a good impression of the architecture of building phase 1A.

A view down the Johannastraat of phase 1B with the typical architecture reminiscent of the houses on the Gagelstraat. The large PSV Stadium dominates the horizon. At its conception this curved street planted with trees would have ended in a park with football pitch with an ample avenue around it.

The Hulstlaan of phase 2 was originally laid out with a planted central reservation. This street replaces the playing fields of the original 1911 design by G.J. de Jongh. The houses are by the same architect -L. Kooken- as those in phases 1A and 1B, which shows clearly.

The curve of the streets are negotiated by angling the terraces. In between narrow alleyways (left) give access to the deep back gardens. The houses typically have no front gardens, although these houses in the Hulstlaan originally did have these. Front garden were judged to create problems in providing a coherent and neat image of every street.

The Henriëttastraat was built as a short cul-de-sac ending on the edge of fields near "The Heap" a small slum. The old housing at the beginning with its expressive facades with exposed brick and light render contrast markedly with the red brick terraces built by a housing association after the slums had been cleared in 1923.

The houses in this building phase typically have a red brick bottom portion with the upper part of the facade in white render. Structural details e.g. brick courses above the windows and doors were left exposed as an ornamental feature. The orange clay tiles on the roofs provide a nice contrast with the rendered surfaces.

The Annastraat connects to the Keerweerstraat, the dead-end that gave access to Den Bult (= the heap), a slum owned by Elias. These houses are very similar to those in the Johannastraat. Terraces with partially rendered facades are interspersed with brick-built blocks.

In the restauration the original green front doors (that came in 7 types throughout Philipsdorp) will be reinstated as every street is restored. On the left an example of a rare original door in the typical moss green colour. In the 1970s the original doors were replaced by these red ones (on the right) with a large pain of glass. The low dormers are an original feature, and typical for Dutch vernacular architecture.

The Frederiklaan was planted as a wide avenue. Of this only some vestiges remain. The view here is dominated by the towering building of the Philips Company School for Electrics. On the right a row of terraces with partially rendered facades. On the opposite side the facades are all executed in red brick. This gives a great sense of place and direction to this curve in the main street.