Although the Netherlands is a small country, we have such an eclectic mix of architectural styles represented here. You can probably find every big architectural style or movement right here in the NL. But there are also some lesser known styles to be found. One of them is the 'Um 1800 Bewegung'. A great example of this style is The Temple in the neighbourhood Zeeheldenkwartier (=Naval Heroes Quarter) in the Hague.

This building by architect F.A. Bodde started off as headquarters of the 'Haagsche Commissie Bank' in 1915. It really does look like a bank building, doesn't it? Sort of stately and you can tell they had a lot of money to spend, with all that stone cladding on the façade (and marble on the inside!). And that's exactly one of the things Um 1800 is known for - on the outside Um 1800 buildings are stately buildings that sometimes come across as *massive*. I don't think this building is really massive though, but when you have a building like this in let's say a city center next to other buildings, then yes, it would be massive.

When the bank left the building, it turned into some sort of women's insane asylum/home for elderly demented women. In the 90s, some famous guru opened a club here, called The Temple. In 2005 the club closed, and eventually the city got a hold of the building. The name stuck though. They renovated the building and the Temple became the first building on the Dutch heritage list with energy label A.

Today the building is used by the archeology department of the city. 

F.A. Bodde is a rather unknown architect from the Hague. He predominantly designed houses I think, but I'm not sure of his style of preference. I've seen some houses in Traditionalist School and Eclecticism, and there's this mansion in Wassenaar in English country house style and well, of course there are some Um 1800 Bewegung buildings. 

Um 1800 Bewegung means Circa/Around 1800 Movement in German and in architectural sense isn't so far from Traditionalist School. Both were fairly conservative, and both used brick work and dimension stone. The Um 1800 Bewegung only shows a lot more affinity with Louis XIV and Jugendstil, ornaments and decoration, while Traditionalist School has of course none of that. On the outside, Um 1800 buildings are usually as tidy and 'clean' as Traditionalist buildings, but there are a few Jugendstil ornaments here and there, like just above the entrance door of The Temple.

My guess is Bodde just liked no nonsense on the outside, and liked Jugendstil decorations on the inside. I mean, the abovementioned mansion in Wassenaar is in English country house style but also has some stained glass windows.

Anyway, back to the Um 1800 Bewegung. I don't know much more about it, only that nazi (yikes) architect Paul Eduard Schultze was an originator of the movement, and that it was modeled after the German movement 'Goethezeit'. Goethezeit (=Goethe time) was inspired by poet Goethe and is known for its romantic characteristics. 

The most impressive part of the building is without a doubt this Jugendstil skylight in the stairwell. I think it's just gorgeous. It's huge and absolutely fitting for a bank building.

I love how they used to incorporate heating elements into the design too. Too bad the newer white heating element doesn't really match though, hehe. Oh, and just look at the floor for a sec. So many different kinds of flooring materials! This building just oozes 'bank' and 'money'.

The old vault is now used as a storage room for archeological finds.

Ahh, all that lovely Jugendstil swirling..

Oh, and I adore these little references to the Hague - the stork has been a symbol of the Hague since forever (well okay, since 1300).

Jugendstil is one of my favourite architectural styles, so I can really appreciate this Um 1800 Bewegung building. I think Bodde did a beautiful job, it's a shame I can't find more about him or his life. Do you know more about him? Or about the Um 1800 Bewegung? Let me know!

Address: Van Kinsbergenstraat 85f, The Hague
Open to visitors: Not that I know of. They usually are open on the national heritage days though!
How to get there: Take tram 17 from Central Station to Statenkwartier and get off at Van Speijkstraat. From here it's a 2 minute walk.
Website: (in Dutch) http://www.denhaag.nl/home/bewoners/kunst-en-cultuur/archeologie.htm?utm_source=alias&utm_medium=offline&utm_campaign=archeologie

I'm currently busy making a Dutch version of my website, as I am Dutch and just thought it was only good sense to make one in my native language. And you know, my fellow Dutchmen should enjoy Dutch architecture just as well. In our own language, that is.
So I don't have much time to do a proper blog post, so I thought I'd share some photos from last weekend instead. It was SO much fun! I learned SO much. On Saturday we stayed here in The Hague, on Sunday we did Amsterdam. Saturday was unfortunately very rainy (not a good thing if you decided you'd bike your way through the city) but Sunday was sunny and dry. And even though it rained (and we did take our beloved bicycles) we managed to visit 13 buildings! Damn. We saw less in Amsterdam though, as the canal houses were very small and could only allow ±25 people at a time = loooong queues. But totally worth it. (And now we know that we should go a little earlier next year ;))

And tomorrow it's finally here. THE 2 days I look forward to every other day of the year (well. these 2 days + christmas). Up until now I only featured buildings in big cities, but today I will feature some buildings that are scattered across our beautiful little rainy* country. 
*Yes, it was raining today, and I'm hoping it won't rain this weekend, but it doesn't look good...

This former transmitter station has to be one of the oddest buildings in the Netherlands. It is a huge cathedral like art deco building, that's meant to resemble an Egyptian sphinx.  It's so majestic and the fact that is was built in the middle of nowhere makes it even more impressive and.. a bit weird. Imagine being in the forest, and then BAM, this baby pops up! It's a shame it really is in the middle of nowhere though - as it's not reachable by public transport and this weekend not even by car. Entry is free though, and the guided tours are also free!

Adres Radioweg 1, Radio Kootwijk (Apeldoorn)
Opening Hours: Saturday 14 September 10.00 - 17.00 & Sunday 15 September 10.00 - 17.00
How to get there: Rent a bike at Buds Restaurant, Amersfoortseweg 202 in Uddel (or check http://www.veluwefiets.nl/ for other places nearby to rent a bike). From here it's a 22 minute bike ride to Radio Kootwijk.

Last year, the Dutch Heritage Days were lovely. The weather was SO good, I saw so many beautiful buildings I had never ever seen before, there were a lot of extra activities (I learned a LOT), plus, we got free coffee, tea, cake and beer that day. As a Dutchman I can always appreciate everything that is free. Let's hope this year will be just as gezellig as last year. 
Today, it's all about Haarlem!

Haarlem is a great city for a 'hofjes' tour. Hofjes are courtyards that used to provide housing for poor families, the elderly, and mostly single or widowed (poor) women. Hofjes in Haarlem were usually commissioned by wealthy families, maybe not so much out of generosity, maybe more because such a hofje would be named after them. There a plenty of hofjes left in Haarlem, but this hofje was built in 1395, and is therefore the oldest hofje in the Netherlands. 


Address: Wijde Appelaarsteeg 11k
Opening Hours: Saturday 14 September 10:00 - 17:00 and Sunday 15 September 12:00 - 17:00
How to get there: It's an 11 minute walk from Haarlem station.

Only 3 more days until Dutch Heritage Weekend, whoop whoop!

Today, let's talk about... Utrecht! A lot of the buildings here are within walking distance of Central Station, which is good, because Utrecht is a nice city to walk around in. There are lots of cafes and cool little shops, and if the weather's good this city's is very gezellig.

When they wanted to build a new main building for the Utrecht University around 1890, architects fought over what should be the style of architecture. I believe some architects wanted a neo-gothical building designed by Pierre Cuypers, others wanted neo-renaissance because they thought neo-gothicism would fit a church more, not a university building. In the end, neo-renaissance won, but as 'revenge' (I mean.. what are we talking about here people!?), the minister of home affairs built a neo-gothical gate right next to this building. The gate was designed by Pierre Cuypers' son. Man, I love a little drama between architects ;)

Address: Domplein 29
Opening Hours: Saturday 14 September 10.00 - 17.00 uur
How to get there: It's a 12 minute walk from Central Station

So this weekend is Open Monument weekend in the Netherlands (aka National Heritage Days) and man, am I excited ;D
This week I'll show you which monuments are in my opinion worthwhile to visit, and each post is dedicated to a different city. Today I present you: Amsterdam!

I am a huge fan of Dutch 19th century architect Pierre Cuypers. He is most famous for designing Amsterdam Central Station and the Rijksmuseum, but I mostly love his churches. It's probably because I love churches in general and am a general lover of brick buildings. His buildings are often bright and don't shy away from colour, as you can see here in the Dominicus church. 
This church is the only one in Amsterdam that has all the original furniture. Also, the flat roof is pretty uncommon for a church (I think?) and the construction of it is also pretty unique.

Address: Spuistraat 12
Opening Hours: Saturday 14 September 10.00 - 17.00 and Sunday 15 September 13:00 - 17:00
How to get there: It's a 6 minute walk from Central Station

I already mentioned this event in my previous posts, but NEXT WEEKEND IS OPEN MONUMENT WEEKEND :D As an avid architecture fan, I couldn't be more excited. A lot of monumental buildings that aren't usually open to public, are open this weekend only! The sad thing is, open monument weekend comes just once a year, and there are SO MANY buildings I'd like to visit. So much to see, so little time! So to make things easier, I made a couple of lists of places that are worthwhile to visit. Every day this week I will feature another city!

Here's the list (in no particular order) for The Hague:

If - like me - you like churches, I reccommend visiting this priory. It used to be a clandestine church (I wrote about those here), but served as a priory later on. The current building was erected during the interbellum. The building is still in use as a priory today, as nuns and monks live here peacefully.
I visited last year, and although there were a lot of people, it was such a calming and spiritual place. The place itself is a bit dark and moody, but nonetheless feels like a true sanctuary. The murals by the Hague artist Lou Asperslagh are beautiful.

OH, and last year, they served their own brewed beer. The priory wants to sell beer in the future, and last year they let visitors sample some of it. It was delicious. I'm still waiting for them to sell it on a large scale (hehe). So if you're in the neighbourhood, try to visit, even if it's just to see if they're serving that beer again this year :P

Address: Oude Molstraat 35
Opening hours: Saturday 14 September 2013 13:00 - 17:00
How to get there: From 'Den Haag Hollands Spoor' station: tram 1 to Scheveningen or 17 to Statenkwartier, get off at Kneuterdijk.
From Central Station, take tram 17 to Statenkwartier, get off at Kneuterdijk.
From Kneuterdijk it's a 5 min walk.

Once upon a time it was frowned upon to practice Catholicism in the Netherlands. The religion of preference was Protestantism, so all Catholic churches were banned because they apparently offended the Protestants. But you COULD practice Catholicism if you wanted to, as long as the Protestants wouldn't notice (yes, we have a long history of tolerating everything 'different' (need I say weed or prostitution) by turning a blind eye.).
Anyway, in the 17th century several clandestine churches popped up, hidden churches, that looked like regular buildings from the outside.
We don't have a lot of those clandestine churches left in the Netherlands, but here in the Hague you can find the H.H. Jacobus & Augustinus parish church, aka the Old Catholic Church.

It seems like an average front door but HA, don't let it fool you. You enter the building, walk through a corridor, and then BAM - suddenly you find yourself in this awesome and spacious church. I was so surprised when I walked in for the first time (and the second time for that matter, hehe), since you really don't expect such a large and beautiful church to be hidden away behind that average façade.

Unfortunately no one is 100% sure who designed the whole of this baroque church. The beautiful plastering indicates the hand of French-Dutch architect Daniel Marot (famous for his Louis XIV architectural style, plaster ceilings and ornamentation) who did live in the Hague, but it could be one of his students just as well. The (quite brilliant) lady who guided us was absolutely adamant that the architect was Marot, but according to the church' official website, evidence is found in archives that the rather unknown Nicolaas Kruysselbergen was the architect. Other (reliable) sources claim it's Marot. Who knows! Who cares? I think since it's such a pretty church, it's just a shame we can't attribute it to someone's legacy.

I really really love the stucco over here by the way. It's not as dramatic as some baroque interiors. It's clean and simple yet elegant and still a bit whimsical here and there. 
Research has indicated the Swiss-born Italian plasterer Joseph Bollina made the ceiling. His work can also be seen in the Fundatie van Renswoude orphanage in Delft.

By the way, I didn't even know there was a difference between the Old Catholic Church and the Catholic Church. The first Old Catholic Church was founded around 1700, so even though it's called 'Old' Catholicism, it's actually newer than Roman Catholicism. It's also far more progressive apparently,  as this religion is sort of between Catholicism and Protestantism. Women for instance can be ordained and the church has an open attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage.

But wait, there's more! Upstairs you can find a so called attic church, which is also one of the oldest clandestine churches in the Netherlands. The Chapel of Maria Mater Dei is very small, but is still in use every Wednesday.

And then there's the bishop's chamber, dated from 1720. It has all the original furniture and is very much intact. I like the stately green walls and all the paintings, it's like a little museum. 
This chamber is of historic significance, because it was here when they chose a new archbishop of Utrecht, against the will of the Pope. This event caused a rupture in the Dutch Catholic Church, and led to the foundation of the Old Catholic Church. 

The church is definitely worth a visit, and every Saturday free tours are given (information below). I highly reccommend this tour, as the guides are very knowlegdable and you learn a lot about the church and Old Catholicism in the Netherlands. 
Oh and they're also open during Open Monumentweekend, 14 & 15 September!

Address: Juffrouw Idastraat 13, The Hague
Opening hours: Every Saturday at 2:30pm there's a free tour starting at HIS Gallery, Molenstraat 44.
How to get there: Take tram 1 from Centrum to Scheveningen, get off at Kneuterdijk and then it's a 4 minute walk.
Website: (in Dutch) http://denhaag.okkn.nl

I am a huge sucker for (European) churches.  Even though I am not incredibly religious, I just love them. They usually show impressive craftsmanship - as an engineer I can really appreciate that - and I love the (sometimes overwhelming) feeling of grandeur and splendour these buildings so often cause.

I unknowingly walked passed this church many times, as you can't see it from the street.

But when you walk through the 17th century gate of this 'Spanish court' (it used to be a town palace which the Spaniards took over at some point), you can see this pretty thing tucked away.

This, is the Roman-Catholic Teresa of Ávila church (Dutch: Teresia van Avilakerk). I am most definitely not familiar with catholic icons, but Saint Teresa apparently was a Spanish nun in the 16th Century and I've been told she has become one of the most important holy icons in the catholic church. 

Anyway. There were 3 churches build in The Hague with the financial help of the ministry of roads and waterways, and this church is the only one to survive. The current building was completed in 1841, and although this church was intended to cater only to the Spanish residents of the Spanish embassy located there, the Hague catholics were also allowerd to attend mass freely here. Now, due to low attendancy, there is no Dutch eucharist anymore, but they do have a Polish eucharist (I guess Polish folk are more religious than us Dutchies nowadays).

Architect Tieleman Fransiscus Suys was responsible for the design. He was a Flemish architect and official architect for the Dutch court. He won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1812 and worked on commission for king William I of the Netherlands and king Leopold I of Belgium. Other works include the Moses and Aaron church in Amsterdam, the Royal Palace in Brussels and the gorgeous conservatory at the botanic garden in Brussels. Although he also designed in other architectural styles, I think it's safe to say Suys was a neo-classicist (is that a word?) at heart. The Teresa church shows this well, with its plastered façade and elegant Ionic order.

Although the building may be attributed to neoclassical architecture, the interior is mostly made in baroque style, designed by Belgian artist Charles Geerts.

I love this church because it's so light and cool from the inside and when the sun shines in it's just gorgeous. Also - neoclassical buildings are rare in the Netherlands (so yeah, no wonder this building is in the top 100 of our national heritage list) and I do love (neo)classicism.
Unfortunately this church isn't open to visitors - I'm hoping they will change this in the future. I'm guessing they don't have a lot of funds to keep it open and it's probably pretty expensive to keep up maintenance and stuff.
The Teresa church will be open during Open Monument weekend though on 14 & 15 September 2013. Definitely worth a visit! (I love Open Monument weekend by the way.)
But on other days, just walk by and peek inside the Spanish court, the church is also very pretty from the outside!

Address: Westeinde 12a, The Hague
Open to visitors: Unfortunately not.
How to get there: Take tram 2, 3, 4 or 6 from Central Station and get off at Grote Markt. From Grote Markt it's a 4 minute walk.
Website: (in Dutch) http://www.ignatiusparochie.nl/

Well hello there! You've stumbled upon my first blog post. My name's Christin. Below here is everything you need to know about me and this blog. Welcome! Enjoy! Read!

I always keep my eyes open
I actually studied architectural engineering and majored in architecture, building & urban planning and one thing I learned during those years is to always look around you. Always keep your eyes open and always appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. So whenever I'm in the bus or train or whatever, I try to really see everything. There's beauty to be found everywhere, in unsuspected places, even in ugliness - as weird and vague as that may sound. Even the ugliest building has something to appreciate, even if it's just the use of colour or material or the way it's constructed or maybe there's some nice other detail that's cool. Or maybe you can appreciate the fact that the architect was daring and bold enough to ignore all common sense and create something really ugly. So, whenever I walk around, running errands, no matter how busy, I try to look up anyway. Sometimes buildings surprise me. I like that.

I want to share the (hidden) gems we have to offer
Even though the Netherlands is a small little country, there is so much more to it than just windmills and wooden clogs and.. weed (sigh). So I'd like to show you places and buildings I love, but you wouldn't necessarily see when you walked by or visit when you're a tourist. And I'd like to tell you the story behind a building, and the stories of Dutch architects I admire. 

So here it is. A fresh new blog for me to write about my passions in life. Hope you like it!