3 16 Introduction Zuid-Hollandse Vormgevingsprijs 2007: English Translation 3 Three hybrids for Delft’s railway zone Hidden Amsterdam: the Binnengasthuis Willemijn Wilms Floet (municipal hospital) and the transformation 17 of the former monastery areas after the Book review Alteratie Herman van Bergeijk Esther Gramsbergen 19 9 Book review Seventeenth-century Dutch architecture in Merlijn Hurx paintings and drawings 80 Everhard Korthals Altes About the authors 12 Ungers and Koolhaas: Urban conditions and architectural form Lara Schrijver Introduction projects are presented for the Delft rail the Dam. In any case, before constructing zone, which were nominated for the Zuid- a separate building for the city council, the In OverHolland 6, much attention is paid to Hollandse Vormgevingsprijs (South Hol- Sint-Elisabethgasthuis was established on 17th-century Dutch architecture. Although land Design Award) 2007. Willemijn Wilms the Middendam.2 In 1395 the city council this is a historical subject, the period Floet examines their designs, which were bought a parcel of the hospital grounds to remains crucial in order to gain a good all created in the Hybrid Buildings Master’s build the first part of the Town Hall. At the understanding of the development of the studios of the Delft University of Technology, end of the 15th century, the expanding Town Dutch city and its architectural structure. It including the award winning design by Luuk Hall claimed the hospital buildings, which is not so much the historical respect of the Stoltenberg and that of Carien Akkermans, is how it lost its prominent position on the City the Dutch Studies for Architectural cultural inheritance of the Golden Age that which won the public award. Middendam. And so the way was paved for – plays a role here, but more the inevitable Finally, two books on 17th-century Dutch continued specialisation of the area around physical presence of the design and building architecture are discussed in the Polemen the Dam as an administrative and trading production from this phase of development section. Herman van Bergeijk reviews the centre. The role of the first hospital – and of in the modern city. book by De Jonge and Ottenheym about the charitable institutions later on – that were Esther Gramsbergen researches the difficult relations in architecture between founded in the development of the city has transformation of the Binnengasthuis area the Northern and Southern Low Countries not been further addressed in the study. OverHolland 6 and monastery area in Amsterdam after in the 16th and 17th centuries. Merlijn Hurx Hidden Amsterdam: the Binnen- As of the end of the 15th century, these the Alteratie. Using typo-morphological discusses the publication of Gerritsen about gasthuis (municipal hospital) and institutions are indeed outside the centre research, she points out the interaction the role of architectural drawing in the the transformation of the former area in a certain sense.3 between the development of urban institu- design and building practices in the Dutch monastery areas after the Alteratie To further examine the significance of tions and the typology of buildings and Republic. Esther Gramsbergen the charitable institutions for the urban developments of areas, during which the development of Amsterdam we must shift ever so characteristic building form of the In the article about the first Commodity our attention from the Dam to the edge of ‘court’ became prominent. Exchange and the forming of the centre the medieval city. The concentration of the Everhard Korthals Altes too focuses on of Amsterdam, published in OverHolland most important administration and trading 17th-century Dutch architecture in his arti- 3, the position was that public buildings buildings around the Dam had as a side cle. This art historical investigation focuses could be seen as generators of city forma- effect that other activities, including the on the physical presence of buildings of the tion and urban development. Establishing hospital, had to be moved.4 First, the Sint- past in paintings and drawings, with many and differentiating urban institutions, which Elisabethgasthuis moved to the Nes where it urban scenes, images of church interiors take shape in public buildings, were con- was merged with the Sint-Pietersgasthuis and important public buildings in Dutch cit- sidered indicators of various phases in the (St Peter’s hospital) located there. In a sec- ies. The core question is the reason behind city’s development. In the study, the public ond wave of reorganisation at the end of the the theme of these paintings or drawings buildings for the city council and trade in 16th century, the hospitals were moved to 3 and whether the architectural style played Amsterdam were closely examined: the old the area south of the Grimburgwal. This final an active part in this choice. Town Hall on the Dam, the weigh houses, move was part of a large-scale reorganisa- In addition, naturally the 20th and 21st the buildings around the fish market and tion of the charitable institutions, the reason century are also addressed in this issue of the Commodity Exchange by De Keyser. for which was rooted in the political revolu- OverHolland. Lara Schrijver focuses on the Research was done into the contribution of tion of 1578, known as the Alteratie.5 problematic relationship between Rem Kool- these buildings to the spatial transformation As a consequence of the Alteratie, the haas and Dutch architecture. She defends of the area around the Dam in the period city council gained control over all Catho- the theory that contrary to the general idea, from city formation to the beginning of the lic properties in the city, including parish architectonic form and composition most 17th century.1 churches and the many city monasteries definitely play a main role in Koolhaas’ work. The development of public buildings to located on the edge of the city. The freed To this end, his work is interpreted through care for the sick and poor was therefore up monastery area made up almost 25 per the texts and work of O.M. Ungers with only indirectly addressed. It has been sug- cent of the surface area within the city walls, whom Koolhaas collaborated in the period gested that Amsterdam’s first hospital, the and as compared to other city districts were 1968-1978. This cooperation profoundly Oude- of Sint-Elisabethgasthuis (St Elisa- much less densely built up.6 But before new influenced Koolhaas during the years that he beth’ hospital), had been the beginning of city expansions could be realised, the re-use established himself as an architect. later developments of the administrative of the former monastery area provided a Furthermore in this issue, architecture and trading centre on the western side of solution for the lack of space in the city.7 A part of these city monasteries were given built in 1601. In the 18th century, the building It is striking to see that in the episcopal the sick was divided into ‘external’ help to to the most important charitable institutions was renovated and is now the head office of and monastic hospitals, the guest rooms the ‘poor sitting at home’ and ‘internal’ help in the city to manage.8 the Universiteit van Amsterdam. Unique to and sick rooms were in a hall construction, to the visitors of hospitals.22 As mentioned What was actually the influence of the the complex is the stately inner courtyard an undivided great hall. In the Near East in the introduction, the cloister orders in the charitable institutions on the developments and the Oudemanhuispoort, an 18th-century tradition, this kind of institution was actually Dutch city were only an important factor in of the former monastery areas? Examining passage with stalls for booksellers.11 built up of individual cells. Another typologi- the further development of charitable insti- the known map of Balthasar Floriszoon van Since the publication in 1975 of a study cal characteristic was the link between the tutions after the Reformation. Berckenrode from 1625 provides the begin- about the Burgerweeshuis (Municipal great hall and the chapel or altar alcove. This As of around 1250 the first public hos- ning of an answer. When this map is com- Orphanage) by R. Meischke, a series of derived from the desire to let the sick and pitals were established in the Dutch cities. pared to the map of Cornelis Anthoniszoon books dedicated to the most important the dying take part in mass.15 In many cases, the Count or one of the from 1544 on which the city monasteries 17th-century buildings for charitable institu- With the founding of the Order of the members of the Count’s family took the are clearly inked in, one notices that in the tions in Amsterdam have appeared. Without Holy Spirit, an order of lay brothers special- initiative.23 During the 13th century, the decade after the Alteratie, the spaciously any exceptions, the authors focused on ised in caring for the sick, church meddling city councils took over the business side by set up monastery areas are transformed into the architectonic properties and described in hospitals decreased. The hospitals of appointing a hospital director, a municipal compact urban areas. These areas differen- the unique history of these buildings. this order fell under secular authority as official in charge of the financial control of tiate themselves from the other parts of the Before then, no study had been done on of 1200. This was particularly the case for the hospital. The control of hospitals was city by way of a deviant urban form, a new these buildings for charitable institutions, the business part of the hospital, as the important to city councils for many reasons: type of building block. Differently than with described as a typological homogenous priests working in the hospital still fell under first to monitor public health and second to the regular blocks of buildings, the inner group of buildings with similar morphological the responsibility of the Pope.