Rebuilding can begin about two years after the fire in the Bovenkerkse Urbanus. The parish commissions architect Cor Bouwstra to get into the head of his nineteenth-century colleague Pierre Cuypers and to make the church more ‘Cuypers’ than before the fire. Now listen to the fourth episode of ‘Brand in de Urbanus.’
“We are going to strengthen the character of that church as much as possible”, Bouwstra puts his thoughts into words when he started planning the reconstruction. This means that the architect, just like Pierre Cuypers at the end of the nineteenth century, had to embrace the neo-Gothic style. This architectural movement is inspired by the medieval Gothic style. Characteristic of this style are vaults, pointed arches, high windows with stained glass windows and many decorations.
How much Cuypers loved to decorate his churches with decorations becomes apparent when the white paint peels off the walls after the fire. Hidden underneath are colorful murals, which apparently had to disappear during the second iconoclasm in the twentieth century. Like many statues, the pulpit and some altars. Will Bouwstra succeed in giving the Urbanuskerk hasar ‘gloss’ back?
In this episode, reporter Celine Sulsters also talks to restorer and curator Jazzy de Groot. She has made it her mission to restore the fourteen badly damaged Stations of the Cross, which depict the agony of Christ. “Once we knew it was possible, the question was how we were going to finance it,” she says. Want to see Jazzy at work? Then view the report below with Jazzy.
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Last Christmas Eve it was finally time: the Urbanus opened its doors for the first joint celebration. Just before the celebration, Sulsters takes a moment to reflect on that moment with pastor Eugéne Jongerden. “Actually, I have no words for it. There are so many feelings that are going through me now. In recent weeks volunteers have worked very hard to clean the church and to apply the decorations… Now that you can can celebrate each other. It’s fantastic.”