© 2007 Rook & Nagelkerke
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH ST. BAVO ROTTERDAM
H.N.M. NEFKENS, 1958-1960
Slinge 775/Sommelsdijkstraat, Rotterdam
ARCHITECT(URAL OFFICE):
Harry Nefkens
ARTIST:
Bob Zijlmans
BUILDING TYPE:
Religious buildings
ARCHITECT(URAL OFFICE):
Harry Nefkens
ARTIST:
Bob Zijlmans
BUILDING TYPE:
Religious buildings
PUBLICATIONS:
Bouw 1961 p. 1544; Bouw 1963 p. 1018; Katholiek Bouwblad 1963 p. 241
The Catholic church of St Bavo with its freestanding concrete tower is an important local landmark. Its main space is spanned by seven concrete trusses from which the roof is hung. This seems to be floating in space due to the glass strip 90 centimetres deep between it and the walls. Taken as a whole, the building is asymmetrical with a main space for 750 visitors and a day chapel with 100 seats below the gallery. The facade along the main road (Slinge) combines concrete cladding elements with coloured glass. This incorporates a liturgical artwork by the Rotterdam artist Bob Zijlmans, who also did the tile picture next to the entrance.