Building G: An old brick gem shrouded in mist
As Roeterseiland’s oldest building, the monumental Building G graces the modern campus. The austere bricks from the “interwar period” which are slowly wearing out, have a hidden history. “It’s a mortal sin that these tiny sculptures are falling into disrepair.”
Stately, Building G overlooks the misty Nieuwe Prinsengracht. Hidden from the hustle and bustle of campus, it provides a tranquil setting for the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences department. The brown building was constructed there back in 1934, most likely by architect Allard Hulshoff (architect of “Hotel The Grand,” among other things).
Originally, the building housed the Organic Chemistry Department of the UvA's Geological Institute. “I read that the oil company which is now Shell funded a large part of the structure,” says Asher Cohen (30), a master’s student in Art History with a fascination for buildings from the 1918-1940 period. “That connection with Shell also makes sense when you consider that the Geological Institute knew a lot about petroleum. About a conflict of interest, however, I dare not speak with certainty yet.”
Little sculptures
Cohen, who also serves as a guide at the Amsterdam “Het Schip” school Museum, has developed a great admiration for the building. “It has a beautiful ‘interwar’ window at the entrance and sculptures by the famous artist Hildo Krop. If you look closely, on the outside of the building you can see all the tiny sculptures related to geology: a researcher with a pick, exotic palm trees, and prehistoric beasts.”
In 1988, however, the UvA study of Geology ceased to exist. Later, the UvA programs of Social Geography and Planning and “Future Planet Studies” filled that academic gap. Building G was somewhat neglected until 2014-2016, when it was renovated to free up space for relocating psychology students. The UvA spent five million euros to repaint the building and install new carpeting and ceilings.
Despite this, Cohen comments, “It’s a mortal sin, because those tiny sculptures by Hildo Krop have fallen into disrepair. Plus, the magnificent back of Krop's expressionist sculpture is now hidden behind the side entrance window.”
Two schools
The adjacent Building L on Nieuwe Achtergracht, actually part of Building G, was built at the same time. The corridors there are still reminiscent of the physics laboratories, in use at the Geology Institute until 1988. This building, too, according to Cohen, was built in the austere “New Objectivity and New Hague School style of Willem Dudok.” These styles differ from the Amsterdam School in that they still used a lot of brick, but the lines were straighter and simpler.
In the hidden green courtyard of Building G sits the Rudolf Berlin Center, a center specializing in learning disabilities, in addition to the Psychology & Behavioral Sciences department. The university center, named after the “inventor” of dyslexia, houses a clinic, in addition to training and research. On its campus, children are helped with the diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other learning problems.
The saddle roof (a sloping tiled roof) and the uneven but sleek, tall towers are a sign of the more subdued style that came about during the crisis of the 1930s. Cohen argues that there was no longer financial leeway for the difficult forms of the Amsterdam School. Any Amsterdam School windows that were still developed (completely divided into frames) disappeared in the renovations after 1988, and are only visible on the lower and upper frames and in the entrance halls.
Misty
But who designed the building is also not entirely clear to Cohen. “Under the architectural plan, only ‘Public Works,’ the municipal department where Hulshoff simply served as commissioner, is listed. But E.P. Messser and C. van der Wilk are also mentioned as designers,” Cohen says. “All this certainly requires more research!” Who should do that? Cohen laughs. “If the UvA had the money, I think that would be great, you know.” Until then, the hidden sculptures, the mysterious architects, and the stately building itself remain shrouded in winter mist.
