Amsterdam - Haringpakkerstoren la ricostruzione

Nel 1690


Il luogo, nella parte Nord del centro vicino alla Stazione




Il disegno




Ho scoperto ultimamente che non solo a Dresda si cerca di ricostruire, ma anche ad Amsterdam.

La storia:
La torre del Haringpakkerstoren faceva parte della cinta di difesa della città. Nel 1829 la torre venne demolita perché in stato d'abbandono e pericolante.
Ora l'architetto Paul van Well sta portando avanti il progetto di ricostruzione della torre per scopi storici e per riportare turisti e quindi cambiamento nell'area mal frequentata della parte nord del Singel.
Sarà anche un impegno per gli artigiani che lavoreranno le parti decorative in legno, visto che sono mestieri destinati a sparire.

The Haringpakkerstoren started life as part of the medieval city wall. The wall was built on the orders of Maximiliaan of Austria, who was honoured in 1478 in Amsterdam as a lord. During his visit, the later emperor inspected the defences and found them totally unsatisfactory as a city boundary against the constantly hostile Utrecht. He then ordered that the existing earth banks be replaced with a wall. This work was started in May 1481 and completed in 1494.

Part of the wall included two towers on the IJ, to protect the harbour - the Schreyhoeckstoren on the east side and the Heilige Kruistoren (or Kruistoren, later, the Haringspakkertoren), on the other side of the harbour front. The name of the latter tower probably originated from the Kruisgilde (Cross Guild) that met here in the 16th century. Little is known about the guild, except that they held religious services in the Nieuwezijdskapel (Nieuwezijds Chapel) - also called Heilige Stede - where there was an altar. According to a rule from 1512, these towers were also used as a waiting place for the civic guard.

After the Alteration in 1578 - when Amsterdam took the side of Willem van Oranje (William of Orange) - the city wall lost its strategic value when an earth bank was erected around the city. However, the wall still stood for a quarter of a century, probably due to the fact that the arches on the inner side were still being used for storage and housing. Between 1601-1603, the old wall was knocked down, but different towers (including the Heilige Kruistoren), remained standing. This was because, as well as an observation post, they had also been used for years as a guard house, office, gunpowder house, prison, or as accommodation for the town's civil servants. Because of the extension of the city, the towers also served as an important landmark within the inhabited area. They then also got a spire with a timepiece, to please the neighbours.
The tower in 1766 by Reinier Vinekeles

The Heilige Kruistoren also got a new spire. This probably happened in 1601. But a number of years later, in 1605, for reasons unknown, the Vroedschap (City Fathers) decided to put a new spire there, at the request of the neighbours. This, a design by city architect Hendrick de Keyser, was ready in 1607. At the request of members of the Archery Guild, the first spire was placed on the turret/little tower of the Handboogdoelen on the Singel, by the Koningsplein.

The name Heilige Kruistoren was replaced at the beginning of the 17th century to the more suitable 'Haringspakkerstoren', because of the company that operated on the IJ between the Martelaarsgracht and the Singel. In 1643, this name was made official, when the herring inspectors set up an office here. To indicate its new function, a gilded herring weather vane was added to the tower. Three guilds also had their headquarters in the tower, namely the tinnegieters (tinn poorer), hat makers and basket makers. Nextdoor, was the Guild's building.

In 1807, scaled drawings were made by city architect Abraham van der Hart for a report he was writing about the subsidence of the Haringspakkerstoren. Van der Hart (1747-1820) was one of the directors of the Stadsfabriekambt (City Factory Office), predecessor of the Dienst Publieke Werken (Public Works Service). He held this function from 1777 until his death. As director of the first department - that of the architectura civilis or city architect - Van der Hart was responsible, amongst other things, for the city's buildings.

Because of the subsidence, Hendrick de Keyser's spire was replaced in 1813 by a lighter, wooden one, after Van der Hart's design. The new 'cap' took the form of a crown, as the herring sellers in the city continued to hang out their wares. Then, along with the construction of the Wester- and Oosterdoksdijk, the quays along the Open Havenfront (Open Harbour Front) were raised and the Haringspakkerstoren had to be demolished. This happened in 1829. People found the costs of adapting the dilapidated towers to the new dikes too high.

A dire il vero io sono sempre curioso in queste decisioni, ricostruire qualcosa dal passato, il rischio del fake dell'effetto Dysneyland è sempre in agguato, ma dopo aver visto Dresda credo che se l'intervento verrà copiuto a dovere possa risultare buono.
Un po' come per il Castello Sforzesco, ora è una meraviglia da ammirare.