Opstandingskerk, Marius Duintjer, 1956
De Leeuw van Vlaanderenstraat 124
Marius Duintjer’s designs and the vox populi
Architect Marius Duintjer is well-known for his large-scale projects like the ABN AMRO building at Vijzelstraat and the Nederlandse Bank at Frederiksplein, both in Amsterdam. These buildings are disputed for their use of ‘brutal’ concrete supposed to create an atmosphere of tranquillity and space. These buildings were not well-received by the people and their popular nicknames were not at all flattering. Visual artist Jan Rothuizen called the ABN AMRO office ‘a stranded cruise ship’ and in the eyes of the writer Rudy Kousbroek building the Nederlandse Bank where the Paleis voor Volksvlijt used to be was ‘the most extreme act of vandalism in Amsterdam after the war’.
For some time Duintjer used to work for Le Corbusier. Still, he cannot be seen as a functionalist like his famous master. Duintjer’s oeuvre is diverse. This is evident when you compare the bank buildings to the various churches he designed, for which he does receive popular acclaim. Whereas concrete is the main material for his office buildings, I would say light constitutes the most important element for his churches.
In addition to the building where the services are held, the Opstandingskerk (Church of the Resurrection) in Bos en Lommer also contains a rectory and a community centre. If you get the chance to see the church from the inside, seize it. The impressive high windows in the nave demonstrate how light with its strong symbolic value must have been the leitmotif of the design. The church’s exterior stands out for its 48-metre high bell tower which gave it its nickname ‘de Kolenkit’: the coal scuttle. This too is the vox populi speaking.
More information
Looper, Willy de (2015) Opstandingskerk. Kerkgebouw met pastorie en wijkcentrum, www.arcam.nl. URL bezocht op 25 mei 2018. https://www.arcam.nl/opstandingskerk