Background information:
Robust and stylishly built for an industrial building. Although around 1900 it was not so exceptional to put a lot of energy into the aesthetics of a pumping station in the middle of nowhere. What was innovative - at that time - was the drive of this pumping station. On site, with a fire fueled by coal, steam was generated that powered a generator. So no steam pumping station or diesel pumping station, but an electrically driven pumping station. But times change, also for things that were once innovative. In the early 1970s, the Keizersveer pumping station was built, which took over the function of the Dongestroom pumping station. In 2021, the building is still in the hands of the Water Board, but has been serving as a facility space for some time, which is revealed by the non-original roller door and sliding doors.
Architectural details:
Architecturally a fairly typical robust masonry building with pilasters and extra reinforcements in the masonry up to knee height in both building volumes. Segmental arches and semicircular arches make it into a graceful masonry whole. The main volume has a saddle roof with cross tiles, the secondary volume has a curved roof on which, at least in the present time, curved corrugated iron is laid. In particular, the main volume does not seem as large as it is, which is mainly caused by the large, high windows. The main volume on the end walls also has two stone plaques, which have also been elaborated in detail in the Markenburg model.
