Town Hall

In 1905, because of increasing lack of space, the council decided for the construction of a new Town hall. 15 years later, the neo-Renaissance building with Romanesque and Byzantine influences was completed. The monumental Town hall is not only richly decorated, it also houses a large collections of fine art.

By building a new Town hall on the Coolsingel Mayor Zimmerman was aiming to strike two birds with one stone. The old town hall on the Kaasmarkt was too small and would be replaced by a new building worthy of the city of Rotterdam. The new building would also give a start in the clean-up of the city. The Coolvest canal would be filled up and levelled and the red light district demolished in favor of the Town hall, post office and trade centre. After a controversial design competition architect Henri Evers was selected winner. The building was realized between 1915 and 1920.

Construction

In 1914 the preparatory work was concluded and on July 15, 1915 the foundation stone was laid by Queen Wilhelmina. In 1920, the neo-Renaissance building with Romanesque and Byzantine influences was ready. The monumental building is symmetrical in design, with a central entrance. The main halls and a balcony are on the first floor on either side of the central hall. The complex is crowned with a bell tower. The building is also built around two courtyards, which bring light in every room. A central road crosses the property. The building has a total area of 86 to 106 meters. The modern concrete structure of the 71 meter high bell tower is hidden behind sandstone. The blackened sandstone facade has been cleaned in 2000. The portion behind the inner street has skylights and houses public functions as the Civil Service. The publicly accessible courtyard has been designed as a park.

The Town Hall was restored between 2008 and 2010 by Putter Partners and interior architects Merkx + Girod. Many areas have been returned to their in former glory. Remarkable are the new spaces under the roof, which were previously used for storage. Here a restaurant and meeting rooms have been created. A new lift shaft is lined with steel wall panels with floral motifs.

Literature: