in the gable feature on the rear elevation from the “Rokin.” The brick is light red with variations; the joints, light gray and flush; the stone, gray and yellowish limestone; and the roof varied colored slate.
“De Twentsche Bank” of Amsterdam on this “Spui Straat,” laid up of dark red brick with flush, dark joints, has added to its quarters a not altogether successful “chef-d ouevre.” It has the appearance of quitting a little too soon as a tentative study. The idea of verticals above the door and to the left, uniting the windows, is rather worth remembering though, being inexpensive and not requiring an allover thick wall.
RAILROAD OFFICE BUILDING, UTRECHT
The quaint little town of Haarlem is now a remade, new city, with a few medieval monuments such as the Cathedral, Town Hall, and Meat Market remaining. They look decidedly out of their element with the new bank and post office. These are located on diagonal corners from each other, both of red brick. Money has been spent sparingly for stone. In general both buildings are clearly the economic adventure of a small Dutch city to build at a minimum cost. The Haarlem Post Office is most interesting for the side door. Otherwise it looks a bit thin and cardboard-like with windows almost on the building line. The steel sash look businesslike in size, and doubtless do an efficient job, but they could bear restudy without discomfort. However, the door feature gets under way and does some very bold asserting, topped off with vigorous Goodhue-esque figures growing out of brick into stone.
Perhaps the biggest architectural “thrill” in all
of Holland is at Utrecht. If one is interested in the modern problem of frankly treating a concrete building as such and enclosing it in sufficient brick only to fireproof it, and at the same time preserve all the window space possible, the railroad office building just south of the Central Station can be none other than an inspiration. On the entire structure, about 400 by 200 feet, there is nothing but the lowly, ordinary brick or square tile used. Not a moulded brick or piece of stone shares the honors. The effect is gained entirely by a most carefully studied and satisfying mass, in conjunction with a thoughtful scheme of fenestration. It is the eloquent expression of some genuine, serious thinking in a logical, sensible way. It is an achievement of which any building age might well be proud.
The building does not pretend to possess any accredited historic antecedents, but, if anything, is Gothic with its accented perpendiculars and buttresses. The simple severity of these are consistent with the window reveals and cornice treatment. No unnecessary motions are gone through for the sake of fashion. Window reveals are sensible in their brusqueness, gaining the advantage of a deep side jamb, yet having no heavy head jamb to cut off light. The top coping surmounts some inexpensive corbeling and offsets, contributing scale in a dignified, adequate way—better than any projecting motif could effect. It is an eloquent exponent of the highly satisfactory result of omitting cornices on modern high buildings.
The refinements in evidence in practically every detail testify to an intensive study. A designer of less ability would have arrived at either an ornate or utterly barren result. But happily enough, the building as erected shows a fine feeling for introducing a slight corner break in certain corner buttresses, a nice proportion of plain surface to windows, and the apt introduction of a horizontal, ornamental line here and there. One of the cleverest strokes of all is the use of English ivy over the main entrances. No ornament could so completely enrich the simple jamb offsets by such shadows, or contribute such a sparkle with the complementary color of the red brick. The rear entrance is not less interesting than the front with its virile, blocky wall housing the steps to the main floor.
The mass of the entire building is a delightful thing to the eye. It exemplifies sound sense. It looks as if the client received full value for every guilder. Windows do not seem to be holding the usual battle for supremacy with wall space. The high tower lights the main stair hall, houses the elevators and their machinery as well as the house tank. The base of the building prepares the way for the planting and grass by being a different brick from the upper portions. Instead of the more or less regular wire-cut species, these bricks show a most liberal tendency, both in variety of shape, size and color. They are skillfully composed to form a transition from the well groomed building face to the shrubs
“De Twentsche Bank” of Amsterdam on this “Spui Straat,” laid up of dark red brick with flush, dark joints, has added to its quarters a not altogether successful “chef-d ouevre.” It has the appearance of quitting a little too soon as a tentative study. The idea of verticals above the door and to the left, uniting the windows, is rather worth remembering though, being inexpensive and not requiring an allover thick wall.
RAILROAD OFFICE BUILDING, UTRECHT
The quaint little town of Haarlem is now a remade, new city, with a few medieval monuments such as the Cathedral, Town Hall, and Meat Market remaining. They look decidedly out of their element with the new bank and post office. These are located on diagonal corners from each other, both of red brick. Money has been spent sparingly for stone. In general both buildings are clearly the economic adventure of a small Dutch city to build at a minimum cost. The Haarlem Post Office is most interesting for the side door. Otherwise it looks a bit thin and cardboard-like with windows almost on the building line. The steel sash look businesslike in size, and doubtless do an efficient job, but they could bear restudy without discomfort. However, the door feature gets under way and does some very bold asserting, topped off with vigorous Goodhue-esque figures growing out of brick into stone.
Perhaps the biggest architectural “thrill” in all
of Holland is at Utrecht. If one is interested in the modern problem of frankly treating a concrete building as such and enclosing it in sufficient brick only to fireproof it, and at the same time preserve all the window space possible, the railroad office building just south of the Central Station can be none other than an inspiration. On the entire structure, about 400 by 200 feet, there is nothing but the lowly, ordinary brick or square tile used. Not a moulded brick or piece of stone shares the honors. The effect is gained entirely by a most carefully studied and satisfying mass, in conjunction with a thoughtful scheme of fenestration. It is the eloquent expression of some genuine, serious thinking in a logical, sensible way. It is an achievement of which any building age might well be proud.
The building does not pretend to possess any accredited historic antecedents, but, if anything, is Gothic with its accented perpendiculars and buttresses. The simple severity of these are consistent with the window reveals and cornice treatment. No unnecessary motions are gone through for the sake of fashion. Window reveals are sensible in their brusqueness, gaining the advantage of a deep side jamb, yet having no heavy head jamb to cut off light. The top coping surmounts some inexpensive corbeling and offsets, contributing scale in a dignified, adequate way—better than any projecting motif could effect. It is an eloquent exponent of the highly satisfactory result of omitting cornices on modern high buildings.
The refinements in evidence in practically every detail testify to an intensive study. A designer of less ability would have arrived at either an ornate or utterly barren result. But happily enough, the building as erected shows a fine feeling for introducing a slight corner break in certain corner buttresses, a nice proportion of plain surface to windows, and the apt introduction of a horizontal, ornamental line here and there. One of the cleverest strokes of all is the use of English ivy over the main entrances. No ornament could so completely enrich the simple jamb offsets by such shadows, or contribute such a sparkle with the complementary color of the red brick. The rear entrance is not less interesting than the front with its virile, blocky wall housing the steps to the main floor.
The mass of the entire building is a delightful thing to the eye. It exemplifies sound sense. It looks as if the client received full value for every guilder. Windows do not seem to be holding the usual battle for supremacy with wall space. The high tower lights the main stair hall, houses the elevators and their machinery as well as the house tank. The base of the building prepares the way for the planting and grass by being a different brick from the upper portions. Instead of the more or less regular wire-cut species, these bricks show a most liberal tendency, both in variety of shape, size and color. They are skillfully composed to form a transition from the well groomed building face to the shrubs