The Arsenal in Coevorden will be further refurbished in the coming months. The damage in the historic building has been mapped and a plan of action is ready. A part of the repair work has already been performed, but the cracks in the building still have to be restored. The municipality of Coevorden therefore wants to take 200,000 euros to carry out all reinforcement work.
The monumental building in the center of Coevorden, which includes the Stedelijk Museum, the Library and the Tourist Information Point, was suddenly closed for a few days in December 2024. This happened after an annual study by Monumentenwacht Drenthe, where large cracks in the walls were discovered in several places. After an emergency recovery, in which the beam construction is stuck, the building was able to open to the public again a few days later.
In recent months, extensive research has been done into the cause of the cracking. This research shows that the changing groundwater level in particular is the cause of the cracks. “The drought of a number of years has had an effect on the peat soils under the arsenal,” explains a spokesperson for the municipality. Due to the drought, the peat soil has collapsed under the arsenal, which led to cracks in the building.
After the unexpected closure of the building in December, studs were quickly placed to prevent the risk of subsidence, but then there was also a structural solution. Based on the research, it was decided to improve the primer of the arsenal. For this, the soil has been injected with a special agent that makes the surface more stable. The agent is injected to a depth of 3.5 meters to strengthen the ground. In 2012, this technique was already applied on the right side of the Arsenal, now the left side and the middle part of the building have also been treated.
In addition to improving the primer layer, the recovery of the cracks is now also being looked at. “We are going to do that with a kind of wokkel,” the spokesperson explains. “It is a big screw that you put between the parts of the crack and you can connect them again.” For the remaining repair work, the municipality now wants to take another 200,000 euros extra budget. Alderman Steven Stegen (BBC2014) has faith in the approach: “With this method, the Arsenal can take it against it for quite some time.”
During the recovery of the cracks, the arsenal will have to close temporarily. When this will happen and how long the arsenal will be closed is not yet known. Work on the Arsenal is expected to be completed in 2026.