From pleats to rural idyll
What would have been the reaction of the original inhabitants if they had known that their Stadzigt, alongside the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, has been nominated as ‘building of the year 2014’?
Past & Present
The eastern side of the Ruterpolder has been inhabited by farmers for centuries. Surrounded by water as it is, this polder had been uninhabitable for a long time. The first stone of the current façade was laid there in 1825 by the five-year-old daughter Willemke Klases.
What once was built as a utilitarian farm to keep dairy cattle is now the eye catcher at the outskirts of ‘Old IJlst’. The completely renovated farmhouse has a main house that is for the most part authentic. At the rear part of the farmhouse – the barn from bygone times –a new house has been built that is disconnected from the main house and is used for special occasions.
The metamorphosis from dilapidated farm to a uniquely renovated Fryske pleats took over two years time. Jelle de Jong Architecten from Lemmer signed the contract for the design. The characteristic interior is designed by interior designer Christien Starkenburg of InterieurPlus from Leeuwarden. The most important acknowledgement for the design followed a year after the building’s completion in 2014, when it was nominated for ‘Building of the year 2014’. This annual competition is organised by the Dutch Union of Architects (NBA).
