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Housing with shops on Oostzeedijk Beneden
It is obvious that the general appearance of the block of shops and homes on Lage Oostzeedijk, between Rubensstraat and Aegidiusstraat, does not fit in a city of modern style. After all, the front facades to Lage Oostzeedijk are gable-ended, as were our famous 17th-century warehouses, and the impression that a connection with history had been consciously sought here is strengthened by the facing bricks and the positioning of central windows above the door of the shop between pilasters. These windows have the same emphasis in the facade as the hoisting doors in those warehouses.
But these are not warehouses at all! They are dwellings.... It goes without saying that the architect here worked on the basis of an incorrect principle by using old building typologies for a totally different function, new housing. And the overall impression is that of an otherwise properly attired gentleman who sets off on a walk wearing a lady’s bonnet and carrying a handbag.
Rein Blijstra in: Het Vrije Volk, 29 September 1951
Shopping gallery
A complex of flats and shops was built on Oostzeedijk Beneden between 1947 and 1949. It consists of four blocks, placed perpendicular to the street, containing flats accessed by shared staircases, and a one-floor strip of shops. The ends of the residential blocks interrupt the gallery of shops and also contain shops at street level. That resulted in a continuous row of shops, fronted by a wide pavement. The design dates from 1946, and contracting took place in June 1947. The scheme was completed in early 1949. A presentation drawing shows a fifth block on the eastern side; this was not built, so the last section of the shopping gallery ends rather abruptly. In 1948 a new viaduct along Willem Ruyslaan was constructed beside the new complex, which contains 92 flats of various sizes and ten shops. The three residential floors are topped by a pitched roof and are supported by a plinth containing storage spaces, washing spaces and storerooms for the shops.
Herman Kraaijvanger felt at liberty on this site to opt for what he once described in a meeting of supervisors as ‘historicizing architecture’. He did not hesitate to crown the gable facades with a 17th-century-looking top, culminating in a chimney. In the facades to Oostzeedijk one could read a frame of natural stone with classical ingredients such as scrolled pilasters and decorated stonework. In Rubensstraat, where the most western block was located, another design aspect demanded attention: the alignment of the shared entranceway with a dormer window overhead created the impression of a warehouse. It was intended to evoke memories of the past.
I. Jager - Herman and Evert Kraaijvanger. Architectonische noblesse, Rotterdam 2015
Ceramic reliefs
The residential scheme bears a resemblance to the pre-war housing by the Kraaijvangers, such as the housing in Blijdorp and the blocks on Rochussenstraat and Nieuwe Binnenweg. Here, too, the facades are adorned with reliefs by Adriaan van der Plas. The ceramic reliefs feature images of a fish, a swan and a horse. To harmonize with the historical buildings on the street, the architects opted for a rather historicizing style. The end facades in particular, which look like gable facades, were criticized by modern-leaning architects and critics. Blijstra, who disapproved of the archaic architecture, did think that the urban design was successful, however. Because positioning almost all apartments along side streets meant that there were scarcely any apartments along the busy traffic street. This contrasted with theresidential building for singles on the other side of Willem Ruyslaan, which was built around the same time.
The comb-shaped complex also contained the prescribed shared gardens. These courtyard areas are open to the street on the side of Assendelftstraat. The two outer courtyards are accessible for cars and connected to Oostzeedijk by a gateway. The central courtyard contains a real garden. The block furthest east forms a courtyard with the existing housing on Aegidiusstraat. In the early years the courtyards were poorly maintained and frequently used for parking cars.
Today
The complex was renovated in 1994, with the original steel frames replaced by PVC. A recent renovation has improved the appearance of the complex again. The open courtyards are still used for parking cars. Since the clearance of the trees in 2020, the area looks as desolate as it did after the buildings were constructed. The original shops, such as Hordijk men’s fashion, Van Dam’s sewing machines and Van de Velden stockings, gradually vanished, to be replaced by an animal clinic, Assman barbers, an accountancy office, an out-of-school care centre and some other shops.
