Besiendershuis 500 years

A rare 500-year-old historic house in the Netherlands is being put in the spotlight by embracing it with a temporary, contrasting and daring architectural installation.

The Besiendershuis, a medieval toll house, dates from 1525 and was built in the Lower Rhenish Gothic style. It is known as a place where artists, writers and musicians can take up a residency, and for the cultural events that usually take place indoors in a peaceful atmosphere. As a result, the house appears tranquil from the outside, but inside it is buzzing with creative energy. To celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Besiendershuis, Studio Frank Havermans has broken the silence by visually channelling the cultural energy from inside to outside by sandwiching it with two functional striking wooden structures – a stage and a studio – which lean against the east and west façades, as a response to the site’s history and the contemporary context. The artwork is a visual statement demonstrating that cultural heritage and contemporary interventions can emphasize one another.

Together with the urban street podium ‘The Hanging Chamber’ on the left and the city studio ‘The Slender House’ on the right, the Besiendershuis forms an intriguing whole that makes the intensity of the cultural energy visible and tangible. The architectural installation can be followed from all angles, adding a brand-new layer to the city’s history, filling urban gaps. The dynamically designed installations engage in a richly contrasting dialogue with the house, yet are not as strange as they might initially appear: they reintroduce lost spaces and historic timber construction, embrace architectural heritage and double the fervour of culture.

The addition of these two spaces enables the Besiendershuis to expand its activities and organise them outside the building as well, thereby attracting a new, different and wider audience. The visibility and impact of the artwork are bearing fruit; on 17 June, the Besiendershuis welcomed its 5,000th visitor, what is truly remarkable for this hidden gem.

The Slender House, city studio | KAPKAR / BH501-SH

The Slender House city studio makes use of the structure and the hidden presence of a previous house that once stood on this plot. This house, which had been built onto the Besiendershuis, was demolished in the early 20th century. This revealed the beautiful façade in the Lower Rhenish Gothic style. The garden wall of the Besiendershuis has been constructed to follow the contours of the old cottage. The Slender House city studio holds a workplace that is being used as an artist in residence. It stands atop the garden wall. In this way, the old house, which no longer exists, supports the new house in its own unique way.

The city studio is positioned so that it overlooks the River Waal, giving The Slender House a dynamic twist. It serves as a temporary workspace to provide mini residences for writers and artists who use it at the invitation of the Besiendershuis and by open call.

The Hanging Chamber, urban street podium | KAPKAR / BH501-HK

The Hanging Chambers situated on the east façade, draws inspiration from the two heritage ‘hanging chambers’ that are part of the Besiendershuis interior and are also called as. It is an urban street podium that connects directly to the city’s outdoor space – an area owned by the Besiendershuis; a narrow multi leveled space, a kind of ally-way, that normally is used for parking bikes or a car.

On the urban street podium musicians, artists and writers can present their work directly. The public uses the square as an auditorium.

The Besiendershuis

The Besiendershuis is a charming building in Nijmegen’s lower town. It is a cultural oasis in a tourist area on the banks of the Waal, the river that flows through the city. In this project, I am exploring the urban planning implications of the enormous span of time between 1525 and 2026.

It is a fascinating fact that in Europe we largely come to understand culture through physical artefacts. Preserving and cherishing objects such as old buildings seems logical, but this is not the case everywhere in the world. In China, where I have regularly visited various megacities – some of which are also very old – old buildings are often nowhere to be found. For decades, everything there has been demolished to bring the cities into line with modern buildings. Only the odd temple remains. Anything that stands in the way is mercilessly destroyed.

During these travels, I have learnt that it is precisely the preservation of old buildings and cities that is crucial to understanding one’s own environment and culture, and to collective memory.

The installation will connect the voices of and within Nijmegen with the Besiendershuis.