Utrecht has 36 ‘new monuments’. The structures, which vary from residential houses to bridges and office buildings, were built between 1970 and 2008 and, according to the municipality, are special ‘because of the architecture, cultural-historical and/or urban development value and characteristic of this construction period in Utrecht’. That is why they are now designated as municipal monuments.
The list of new municipal monuments includes all kinds of different buildings. For example, the Prince Claus Bridge, the Great Hall of TivoliVredenburg, the Musketon in Lunetten and Overvecht Station are designated as young monuments.
There are also quite a few young monuments at the Utrecht Science Park. This includes the Basketbar, the cogeneration plant, the Minnaert building, the Hugo Kruyt building and the University Library.
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The buildings on the list all date from the period 1970 to 2008. The period from 1970 to 1990 was dominated by renewal in the old city districts. During this period, several social housing complexes were built, such as Vrouwjuttenhof and Teugelhof in the city center, Jan Meijenstraat in District C and Albrachthof in the East district.
From the 1990s onwards it was mainly about urban expansion. The new residential areas Voordorp and Leidsche Rijn were built at this time. “This construction period is also characterized by the iconic architecture designed by Dutch architects with worldwide fame, such as the Educatorium by Rem Koolhaas and the Prince Claus Bridge by UN studio,” the municipality said.
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Development of the city
“All these buildings and objects together represent the development of the city in this period of Utrecht history,” says councilor Rachel Streefland about the monument list. “They are exemplary of their time and unique for Utrecht. By giving them monument status now, we ensure that they are preserved for current and future generations.”
The municipality started mapping young heritage in 2018 at the request of the municipal council. The research came out in August last year a list forward with a selection of monuments. The municipality then held discussions with the owners and people were able to submit their views. From the list drawn up last year, 36 new monuments have now been designated.
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Experience and usability
Streefland: “When protecting these young monuments, we emphasize the preservation of the most important monumental values. At the same time, we find not only the experience, but also the usability of these monuments important. That which does not belong to the most important monumental values therefore always remains changeable. Owners therefore retain the option to make their buildings more sustainable and adapt them for future use.”
The full list can be viewed here.
Tags: Utrecht designates buildings monument
