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Kollum (Fr): Gereformeerde kerk or Oosterkerk (E. Reitsma, 1924-1925)

 

 
The Gereformeerde kerk of Kollum, or Oosterkerk as it is called since 2007, replaced a wooden church built in 1887. In 1924 young architect Egbert Reitsma was commissioned to design a new church. It would be his first church, not counting the one he built with his father in Munnekezijl in 1920. Reitsma would soon become one of the major architects of the calvinist Gereformeerde denomination. Following the principles of the leader of that denomination, A. Kuyper, the church has a centralizing ground plan, basically a Greek cross with two of its arms having three-sides extensions and a massive-looking tower at the front. The church is in Expressionist style, a style Reitsma continued to use for several more churches, and is built of brick around a concrete skeleton. The bricks Reitsma used had been close to the fire of the ovens, causing an irregular, and therefore decorative, structure. The most irregular stones were used at the upper parts of the gables and the tower. Reitsma also designed the consistory and also took care of its enlargement in 1969
Unusual for a church of this denomination are the painted ceilings, made by Reitsma's friend George Martens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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