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Ikazia nurses’ accommodation

Ikazia nurses’ accommodation

The tower of the Ikazia nurses’ accommodation

Stadsarchief Rotterdam, 1966

The circular, ten-floor-tall building with 156 flats for nurses is one of the most striking elements of the new Ikazia hospital complex at Zuidplein. With its 375 hospital beds, Ikazia is a welcome addition to Rotterdam-South and surroundings. The plan dates from before the war with the founding of the Interdenominational Hospital Building Action Committee, the Dutch acronym for which is Ikezia (later changed to the better-sounding Ikazia).

Het Vrije Volk, 9 October 1968

Ikazia nurses’ accommodation
Stadsarchief Rotterdam, 1966

Regional hospital

A trust was set up as early as 1947 to establish a protestant hospital in Rotterdam-South. The site beside Zuidplein was chosen because it was close to arterial roads heading south and to the public transport interchange here. The area south of Rotterdam was traditionally home to many members of Protestant and Dutch Reformed Churches. Ikazia hospital took its name from the committee that campaigned and raised funds for its construction: the Interdenominational Hospital Building Action Committee. A total of 1 million euros was raised. A different site on Carnissesingel was initially considered for the regional hospital but was dropped because of the planned route of the metro. Hardly any changes to the plan were required for the new site. Construction started in 1961 and finished in April 1966.

Contained within the circular core of the building are the staircase, lift, toilets and showers, washing and ironing room and small kitchen.

Ikazia nurses’ accommodation
Stadsarchief Rotterdam, 1971

Architects

Hospitals are the work of specialized architecture firms that can translate the many technical requirements from the design brief into reliable plans. Architecture is of secondary importance. The office Groenewegen and Mieras came from Amsterdam and worked with the Rotterdam architects Cramer and Kruisheer, but the division of tasks is unclear. According to Het Vrije Volk of 1957, Groenewegen and Cramer had drawn up a sketch design for the first site. But Groenewegen died in 1958. Later publications often refer to Cramer and Kruisheer only as architects.

In this first design, the residential tower was separated from the main volume, but it was three floors tall with three short perpendicular wings. It is not known who eventually came up with the distinctive circular shape. The first hospital design had a capacity of 350 beds, but that number eventually rose to 375.

Ikazia nurses’ accommodation
Bouwkundig Weekblad, 1968
Ikazia nurses’ accommodation
Bouwkundig Weekblad, 1968

For the nurses there will be a circular, ten-floor block of flats, with the top eight floors containing most of the 156 rooms with large windows to the street. Central spaces will be positioned within the circular corridor. Above the ground floor will be a relaxation room surrounded by a terrace, and on top of the building will be a roof-top terrace.

Het Vrije Volk, 29 June 1961

Ikazia nurses’ accommodation

Model of the Ikazia Hospital Complex

Ikazia nurses’ accommodation
Bouwkundig Weekblad, 1968
Ikazia nurses’ accommodation
Bouwkundig Weekblad, 1968

Nurses’ accommodation

The circular shape was chosen for the block of flats for urban design reasons, and because of the size of the available site. The block accommodated 156 people residents. There were 16 living-cum-bedrooms for servants on the ground floor and 140 standard rooms for nurses in the tower. The 9-metre-square rooms were 3.3 metres wide at the facade. The building also included a bike shed around the core on the ground floor and a recreation space. On the first floor, where the main entrance was located, there were shared amenities such as a television room and recreation space. There was also a recreation space and a terrace on the roof.

Ikazia nurses’ accommodation
Bouwkundig Weekblad, 1968
Ikazia nurses’ accommodation
Bouwkundig Weekblad, 1968
Ikazia nurses’ accommodation
Stadsarchief Rotterdam

Construction

Located in the circular core of the building were the staircase, lift, toilets and showers, washing and ironing room, and small kitchen. Each room contained a washbasin. The concrete core is important structurally, as are the radically positioned concrete walls between the rooms. The upper structure rests on a concrete ‘table’ slab supported by nine circular columns. The eighteen square concrete columns in the facade and the concrete floors form a facade grid. The glazing between each pair of columns features a slight angle in the centre.

Ikazia nurses’ accommodation
Marlies Lageweg, Platform Wederopbouw Rotterdam

Today

A large wall relief in brick by Rudi Rooijackers was destroyed in the redevelopment of the hospital. The chapel was also demolished, and a stained-glass-concrete window by Berend Hendriks was placed at the entrance to the residential building, which was converted into office space for the hospital.

Architect
B.J.K. Cramer, J.E. Kruisheer, J.H. Groenewegen & H. Mieras
Period
1961-1966
Location
Montessoriweg 1, Rotterdam, Nederland
Subjects
Buildings
Neighborhoods
Zuid
Buildings
Business buildings