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OFFICE BUILDING DE HOLLAND VAN 1859 (ONDERWIJSMUSEUM)

S. VAN RAVESTEYN, 1937-1939, Burgemeester de Raadtsingel 97, Dordrecht

RENOVATOR:
Bierman Henket architecten

ARCHITECT(URAL OFFICE):
Sybold van Ravesteyn

EXTENSION:
Hans Oud

ARTIST:
Willem van Kuilenburg

BUILDING TYPE:
Office buildings
Reuse
Museums and exhibition buildings

Several enclosed offices and a large open work zone occupying most of the ground floor are reached from a circular glass hall. A monumental stair leads to an oval conference room on the roof. At the rear is a semi-circular porter's residence. With this building, extravagantly decorated both inside and out, Van Ravesteyn broke for good with his earlier, more functionalist style. Just as his building was approaching the 50-year mark and the chance of listed status, it was subjected to a catastrophic Hi-Techy hatchet job. It is hard to imagine a more horrendous example of maltreatment of a latterday monument. With the transformation to Nationaal Onderwijsmuseum the building has regained its lost splendour.