Stadhuis | Leiden, The Netherlands

[Crownsteler]

(photo: Mark Voorendt)

Name: Stadhuis van Leiden (city hall of Leiden)
Architect: Lieven de Key (facade on the Breestraat), C.J. Blaauw (1934 design)
Style: Renaissance
Construction: 1597-1600 and 1934-1940

In 1597 work started on the new city hall of Leiden, a monumental renaissance facade was designed by Lieven de Key, architect in service of Haarlem. The building was meant to represent the great wealth the city had achieved following an economic boom after the siege of Leiden (1574) was lifted.
A poem by Jan van Hout is integrated into the facade commemorating this siege. The guilded letters of the poem together form the year 1574, the year of the siege, while the number of capital letters represent the number of days the siege lasted.
Additional details include two statues on the Balustrade representing youth and eternity, while next to the entrance there are two statues representing justice and peace.

Unfortunatly, in 1929 a large fire burned down the part of block the city hall was located in, leaving only the facade on the side of the Breestraat standing. A large designcompetition followed, which was one by C.J. Blaauw (over renowed architects such a Dudok). The rebuild city hall now features a new traditional facade on the other side of the building (on the side vismarkt), the interiour (and some exteriour details), however, are very modern. The interiour, for example, features woodworks designed by Escher.

The renaissance facade on the side of the Breestraat is also the longest renaissance facade in the Netherlands.
As another point of interest, on this website, there is a very nice panaroma of the city hall, because of the side the building, that is the only proper way to see all of it. (here is a direct link to the panaroma)





The stairs

Detail on the stairs.

One of the poems integrated into the facade

(photos from various sources)

Interiour:
image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

Artwork by Escher showing the growth of the city over time:
image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

(photos: hans van egdom)

[Nemo]

One of the most beautiful town-halls in The Netherlands.

[Kelsen]

Very nice! 9/10, but the time of the construction is 1597-1600 so I think this is not Middle Ages!

[Crownsteler]

^ Neither is it imperial, so I had to make a choice where to put, renaissance architecture was a bridging style if you will so it is exactly in the middle, but I feel it is more aligned with medieval architecture then imperial architecture, so I put it here.

[Elektro-X]

hehe, a piece of good Dutch architecture.
9/10

[gutooo]

9/10

[Sbz2ifc]

8.5/10

[billyandmandy]

isn't this too baroque to be in this section? anyway... 8/10

[vinman]

It is not Baroque, but Manierism. Very nice city hall! 9/10

[W!CKED]

8/10

[marpa]

9,5/10

[Dreamlıneя]

8.5/10

[Miso]

is it fro middle ages?????, anyway is great!!!

[julesstoop]

Miso, read the answers in this thread about this subject...
Anyhow. I see this building daily and it still doesn't fail to interest me. So 9 out of 10.

[clarky]

9/10

[Popiel]

8/10

[_zner_]

10. i love it.

[LMCA1990]

9/10

[Nikkodemo]

8.5/10

[henry hill]

9/10