Amsterdam School
Expressionist architecture with a Groningen twist
In Groningen, you might suddenly find yourself face to face with an elegant red-brick building full of intricate details. These buildings were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s in the Amsterdam School style. But with a Groningen twist. Just that little bit different. Less exuberant, with the craftsmanship of working with brick taking centre stage. If you look out for them, you’ll come across these characteristic buildings everywhere.
Stone in the City
Let’s go back in time a little – about a hundred years. Groningen acted as a magnet for workers from the surrounding countryside. And, naturally, they needed a roof over their heads. Around that time, the Amsterdam School also emerged: a new, distinctive and characteristic architectural style. Robust. With decorative elements on the façades, featuring ladder windows and sometimes crowned with turrets.
As it happens, Groningen was renowned at the time for its numerous brickworks. It is therefore hardly surprising that many architects from Groningen felt right at home within the Amsterdam School movement. Entire residential estates sprang up in playful red brick. But scattered throughout the city centre are also elegant buildings with an eye for detail.
“ From white and round to yellow and angular ”
The Amsterdam School is all around you today. You’ll come across one of the highlights as you walk from the main station and continue into the city via Ubbo Emmiusstraat. You’ll soon find yourself looking up at a tall wall of dark brown brick. Just round the corner, you’ll be captivated by colourful façades. Inside, you’ll marvel at the stained-glass windows. The red and yellow of the window frames are characteristic of the Amsterdam School in Groningen, as is its angular character. It’s slightly different from the version found in the Randstad, where white and rounded shapes often predominate. This particular design is the work of the former city architect Siebe Jan Bouma, also known as ‘Siep’. He was influential, unconventional and forward-thinking. It’s hardly surprising that the city is full of his designs.
As you wander through the city centre, you’ll often pass his creations without even realising it. For instance, he designed many of the cosy bridge keepers’ cottages. But sometimes he designed the bridge itself, such as the Boteringe Bridge. And if you can’t hold it any longer and visit a public toilet or urinal, there’s a good chance you’ll be surrounded by Siep’s stones. For example, at the Hoge der A and on the Grote Markt.
But there’s plenty to see outside the city centre too. The striking railing of the Hereweg viaduct is also by Siep, in collaboration with artist Willem Valk. A little further on stands the distinctive Rabenhaupt School, where white blends with yellow. Amsterdam-style with a Groningen twist.
“ Surrounded by Siep’s stones ”
A textbook example of beauty
Venturing into the residential neighbourhoods, we see the colourful façades in many places. Take the Oosterparkwijk, for example, considered by many to be Groningen’s quintessential working-class neighbourhood. The neighbourhood is also a prime example of the Amsterdam School style, starting with Gerbrand Bakkerstraat. It features striking houses with blue and orange window frames and deep red doors. het Oude Politiebureau also catches the eye. Situated on the corner of Zaagmuldersweg and cloaked in a riot of colours. These days, you can settle down on the terrace for a bite to eat and a drink. Once you’ve finished your meal, you can stroll on to the so-called ‘Blauwe Dorp’. A neighbourhood of farmhouse-style homes, right in the heart of a residential area. A hidden gem not only for many visitors but also for the residents of Groningen. And to round off your walk, you’ll head through the Pioenpark to – yes – the Siebe Jan Bouma School. Named in his honour, it now serves as a community centre.
Churches by Egbert Reitsma
Architect (and member of the De Ploeg art circle) Egbert Reitsma also designed houses and other buildings in the Amsterdam School style. However, it was his churches that made him truly famous. The possibilities offered by brick proved to fit so well with the Groningen experience of faith that he was commissioned to design dozens of churches. You can see this for yourself when standing in front of the Goede Herderkerk in Bedum or the Reformed Church in Appingedam. Stately, grand, yet also austere and somewhat solemn. Here, you listen to the minister’s words with awe.
