Maastricht - Villapark and St. Pieter Preview

This gateway on Sint Pieterskade, at the edge of Villapark, bears a remarkable inscription:

“In 1888 this gate was built,
so truly.
Fear God, honour the King, do your duty.
May the Lord protect the city of Maastricht.”

The inscription is signed with the initials of Victor de Stuers, founder of the Dutch organisation for the preservation of historic monuments. A close friend of architect Pierre Cuypers, De Stuers is said to have proposed this alternative design for the city gate at the last minute.

He designed the Neo-Gothic gateway with battlements, but these collapsed one afternoon in 1936 and were never rebuilt.

The gateway itself is not a surviving medieval city gate. It was constructed in 1888, when the Begijnenstraat was extended and an opening was created in the old city wall to improve access to the newly developing Villapark. Locals soon gave it the telling nickname ‘Nep-Poort’ – the Fake Gate.

Video: Excerpt from De Stand van de Stad, an interview with Wim van den Berg, produced by NAi | ArchiNed.

Van Heylerhofflaan 6–9

These are among the first houses built in Villapark. The villas at Van Heylerhofflaan 6–9 date from 1887, and most of the houses along this avenue were built between 1887 and 1905.

Villapark was conceived as a spacious residential district in which private gardens and public greenery formed one continuous landscape. Relatively large plots were arranged as a kind of landscaped park, with detached villas and country-house-style residences set among trees and gardens.

The idea was to combine the comfort of a permanent urban home with the atmosphere of a country estate: greenery, space and privacy, while still maintaining good connections with the city. In this sense, Villapark offered a new nineteenth-century ideal of living — a country house in the city.

The Poolhouse Maastricht, designed by architect Mathieu Bruls in 2014, is an indoor swimming pool and landscaped city garden conceived as a modest homage to nature.

The pool and its enclosing structure are positioned symmetrically in relation to the existing house. Its longitudinal axis points precisely south. Inevitably, the swimmer follows this natural order, swimming laps along the central axis.

Swimming becomes a kind of gymnastics for both body and mind. The Poolhouse and the garden are the machine that makes this possible.

The adjacent courtyard of the WML housing complex is enclosed by a new town villa containing two self-contained homes. Its scale and proportions are carefully matched to those of the surrounding villa district.

Design: Prof. ir. Hubert-Jan Henket (b. 1940)

The former offices of the Waterleiding Maatschappij Limburg (WML) have been transformed into 21 apartments and four townhouses. A new underground car park was built beneath the courtyard, with a landscaped green roof at ground level.

Design: Prof. ir. Hubert-Jan Henket
Completed: 2009

The original building was designed by architect J.D. Postma in 1932. Built around a steel and concrete frame, it has a self-supporting brick façade and a pitched roof. Its characteristic tower at the main entrance, generous floor heights and strong rhythm of window frames give the building its architectural character — and made it worth preserving and reusing.

The generous floor-to-ceiling heights and open column structure made it possible to create a completely new layout with spacious homes. Modern services, including underfloor heating and fire- and sound-proofing, were integrated into raised floors.

The non-original window frames were replaced with aluminium renovation frames based closely on the proportions, colour and dimensions of the original steel frames. Balconies and terraces were carefully integrated as winter gardens behind the façade or as roof terraces set within the existing roofline.

In this way, the conversion preserved the autonomous character of the original office building while giving it a completely new life as housing.

Four villas stand at the junction of Prins Bisschopsingel and Sint Lambertuslaan. Until 1960, this was a green, circular square with a magnificent fountain at its centre. The construction of the Kennedy Bridge and the ring roadradically changed the area, leaving little of the original setting behind.

The square was once surrounded by four large plots of approximately 1,500 m² each, intended for detached villas. The villas have survived, but as an ensemble, they have lost much of their former grandeur.

Villa Michael, built in 1911, was originally a semi-detached villa. Its architecture is traditional in character, with clear influences of Art Nouveau. Because of its original white façade, it was also known as the ‘White House’. The villa has a basement, two main floors and an attic, arranged around a symmetrical plan.

During the Second World War, the building was occupied by the Gestapo.

In recent years, Villa Michael has been transformed into an apartment building containing four spacious lofts. The penthouse on the top floor was recently completed under the guidance of designer Niels Maier.

This prominent detached villa is an eclectic landmark on Sint Lambertuslaan. It was commissioned by P.G.H. Regout and P. Marres and designed by Maastricht architect W. Sprenger.

Built on a rectangular plan, the villa combines two main floors with a basement and attic. Its asymmetrical façade is dominated by a projecting tower-like section, crowned by a truncated roof and dormer. A large triangular bay window with balcony adds another striking feature to the façade.

The balcony is reached through double wooden doors with fan-shaped glazing and framed by a graceful wrought-iron balustrade and flagpole. Perhaps the most personal touch is found on either side of the balcony, where the façade proudly carries the words ‘Villa’ and ‘My Home’.

This eclectic semi-detached villa at Sint Lambertuslaan 1–3 forms a striking architectural pair. No. 3 was built in 1906 as a combined home and office for notary N.J. Jesse. Both houses have two main floors, with their distinctive towers rising a third storey, plus basement and attic levels.

No. 1, dating from around 1895, is distinguished by a tower set diagonally at the corner and a projecting garden room at the rear. Its hipped roof, tall chimneys, decorative eaves and elaborate dormers add to its picturesque character. The tower is crowned by a slender, slate-covered spire with an ornamental weather vane.

Together with the villa on the opposite corner, these buildings once formed a kind of gateway to the urban boulevardthat extended towards Sint Pieter. The construction of the Kennedy Bridge and the adjoining ring road severely disrupted this historic axis.

The new road cut through the former urban structure in much the same way as De Percee did in Wyck, on the other side of the city, when the old fortifications were demolished. In both places, corner towers and other architectural landmarks were used to mark the points where the city opened up into a new urban landscape.

This imposing triple town villa, dating from around 1900, occupies the corner of Sint Lambertuslaan and Henri Hermanspark.

Its richly ornamented façade is built around a strong symmetrical composition. Two three-storey corner towers frame a projecting central section, crowned by a large, prominent gable. Between the left tower and the central section, a wooden bay window with balcony adds a more playful element to the otherwise formal design.

The combination of towers, balconies, dormers, elaborate rooflines and decorative details gives the building its distinctly eclectic character. Rather than three separate houses, the composition reads as one monumental urban villa — a deliberate architectural statement at the edge of Villapark.

Vrijstaande Villa Marguerite werd in 1890 gebouwd in een door de chaletstijl beïnvloede bouwtrant naar een ontwerp van architect Willem Sprenger, in opdracht van de reder Arnold Bonhomme, die de bootvaart naar Luik en Venlo onderhield. Villa Marguerite heeft een L-vormige grondplandoor de uitgebouwde torenpartij aan de zuidzijde. De gevels zijn in twee kleuren baksteen opgemetseld en op de verdieping zijn de vulstukken boven de vensters gedecoreerd met siermetselwerk. De voorgevel bezit drie vensterassen en een erker, waarbij de top gedomineerd wordt door een chaletoverstek. In 1910 werd de villa verbouwd en in 1913 voorzien van een loggia. Momenteel is in het pand Ben Vos Investment gevestigd.

The triple Villa Hubertus was built in 1904 in an eclectic style for L. Polis & Co., to a design by architect Willem Sprenger (1875–1944). Sprenger himself lived in the central section of the building, while the right-hand villa was home to musician Henri Hermans.

The three adjoining villas on Sint Hubertuslaan have an irregular red-brick façade, enriched with several commemorative and decorative stones. One bears the inscription ‘Anno 1904’.

Another stone depicts a ruler, compass and set square — a playful reference to Sprenger's profession as an architect.

It is a small detail, but one that makes the building personal: Sprenger quite literally left his signature in stone.

This townhouse is one of the rare examples in Maastricht of an eclectic style influenced by Art Nouveau. It was built in 1907–1908 for M. Michon, to a design by Maastricht architect C.L.J. Hoogenstraaten.

The house has an L-shaped plan. Its two-storey street-facing main volume is complemented by a taller extension at the rear. Tucked into the angle between the two is a wooden veranda with balcony, adding a more informal and domestic character to the house.

The varied roofscape, combining a mansard roof and pitched roof, and the carefully detailed dormers contribute to its distinctive appearance.

For a city like Maastricht, where many historic houses follow more conventional architectural traditions, this Art Nouveau-influenced townhouse is a relatively unusual example.

In 1895, this elegant villa was built on the south-west corner of the square for M. and E. Regout, possibly to plans by the Liège architect S.J. Rémont.

Unlike many of the larger detached villas around the square, the house has a restrained and classical character. Its simple rectangular volume consists of a basement and two main floors beneath a mansard roof.

The red-brick façade rests on a hardstone base and is articulated by subtle plaster pilasters and horizontal bands. The window surrounds are topped with keystones decorated with diamond-shaped motifs.

Its quiet elegance is precisely what makes the villa stand out among the more exuberant architecture of Villapark

The largest villa in Villapark, Villa Maya at Sint Lambertuslaan 9–11, was built in 1903 for banker H.J. Seydlitz. Designed in an eclectic style, the imposing red-brick building is articulated with bands of yellow stone.

Its T-shaped plan is dominated by a striking tower with a tall hipped roof and ornamental ridge decoration. A conservatory was added in 1904, designed by architect J. Kayser.

After the Second World War, the villa was divided into separate residences. More recently, it was transformed into an apartment complex containing four spacious lofts. The penthouse on the top floor was completed under the guidance of architect Niels Maier, with an emphasis on light, transparency and contemporary design.

Villa Maya thus combines the grandeur of an early twentieth-century private villa with a distinctly contemporary way of living.

Villa Wilhelmina, at Sint Lambertuslaan 10, was built in 1915 for the Rutten-Delvoie family, owners of the De Zwarte Ruiter brewery on Annalaan, known for its traditional Maastricht beer, Mestreechs Aajt.

The villa was designed by Maastricht architect Jos Hollman. Built on a rectangular plan, it has a basement and two main floors beneath a distinctive broken hipped roof with a flattened top. The roof has an exceptionally deep overhang, supported by slender timber brackets.

The asymmetrical façade and, in particular, the beautifully crafted open timberwork beneath the roof, give the villa its distinctive character. The exposed wooden structure adds a touch of craftsmanship and lightness to an otherwise substantial building.

La Villetta, at Sint Lambertuslaan 15, is one of the earlier villas in Villapark. Built between 1887 and 1890, the house is designed in the picturesque Chalet style and is now a municipal monument.

The Chalet style was inspired by Alpine architecture and became popular in the late nineteenth century. Its characteristic features include generous roof overhangs, decorative timberwork and a more informal, picturesque character than the formal classical villas of the period.

La Villetta is a good example of how the new residential architecture of Villapark embraced the idea of the villa as a country house in the city — surrounded by greenery, yet within easy reach of Maastricht.

Look closely at the roofline and wooden details: here, architecture is deliberately made to feel more like a romantic retreat than a formal urban residence.

Villa De Ark, at Sint Lambertuslaan 17, was designed in 1913 by the Aachen architect Walter Eversheim.

The detached villa has two main floors beneath a mansard hipped roof and is distinguished by its fully rendered façade. This is particularly striking in Maastricht, where this type of architecture — with its distinctly German character — was relatively uncommon at the time.

The name ‘De Ark’ is painted beneath the central windows, making the identity of the house unmistakable.

The entrance is set in a small portico on the left side of the building. Its curved roof is supported by two slender round columns, while the entrance door itself is still original.

The villa is a small but telling reminder of Maastricht's close architectural and cultural connections with neighbouring Germany.

Villa Edithberga, at Lambertuslaan 10a, was built in 1916 in an eclectic style and is now a municipal monument.

The villa dates from a later phase in the development of Villapark, when the architecture was becoming increasingly varied. Eclecticism allowed architects to combine elements from different historical styles, resulting in buildings with a more individual and expressive character.

Look closely at the façade and roofline: the composition is less formal than the classical villas from the nineteenth century, while still retaining the generous proportions and sense of status typical of Villapark.

Edithberga is therefore a good example of the architectural diversity that developed in the neighbourhood during the early twentieth century — when traditional villa architecture was gradually giving way to new interpretations of domestic life.

Villa Hortus Rosae, at Sint Lambertuslaan 19, was built around 1915–1916. The architect is unknown.

This detached villa is built in red brick on a base of rough-cut natural stone. Its façade is enlivened by decorative brickwork, stone details and a slightly projecting central section. The roof is crowned by three brick chimneys and a series of original dormer windows.

Look closely at the façade: two diamond-shaped stone panels in the central section bear the inscription ‘ANNO 1916’. Above the entrance, two stone plaques carry the name ‘Hortus Rosae’, Latin for ‘Rose Garden’.

The entrance is set in the side façade, beneath a semi-circular wooden canopy.

The combination of brickwork, decorative details and relatively restrained architecture gives the villa a distinctive character. Its date, around 1915–1916, places it in a later phase of the development of Villapark, when traditional villa architecture was taking on new forms.

This semi-detached house at Sint Lambertuslaan 12 dates from 1887, making it one of the earlier buildings in Villapark. The house is now a municipal monument.

What makes it particularly interesting is that its street façade was substantially remodelled in 1954, under the direction of architect P.H.A.A. Pluymen. The result is a building that brings together two different architectural periods: a nineteenth-century house with a façade adapted to the architectural ideas of the mid-twentieth century.

The transformation is a reminder that Villapark is not a frozen nineteenth-century neighbourhood. Its houses have continued to change with the times, sometimes quite radically, while the buildings themselves have remained part of the historic fabric of the district.

Look closely at the façade and you can read this layering of architectural history: 1887 is still present in the building's basic structure, while the street façade reflects the intervention of 1954.

Villa Flora, at Sint Lambertuslaan 14, is a detached house in the Neo-Renaissance style, built in 1887. It is therefore one of the earliest villas in Villapark and is now a municipal monument.

Neo-Renaissance was a popular style for prestigious houses in the late nineteenth century. Architects drew inspiration from Renaissance forms and motifs, using elements such as clear composition, symmetry and decorative detailing, while adapting them to the needs and aspirations of contemporary life.

Villa Flora illustrates how Villapark began to take shape in the 1880s, with detached and representative houses set among gardens and greenery. These villas were not only intended to provide comfortable homes in a pleasant environment; they also served as a visible expression of the social status of their residents.

As one of the early villas on Sint Lambertuslaan, Villa Flora remains an important part of the original character of Villapark.

This detached villa at Sint Lambertuslaan 21 was designed in 1928 by architects Victor E. Marres and W.J. Sandhövel. The building is now a municipal monument.

The villa is composed of two building volumes placed at right angles to each other, creating a dynamic and clearly articulated form. The volume running parallel to the street has a pitched roof, while the perpendicular section is covered by a hipped roof. A projecting gable rises from the front roof slope, adding another distinctive element to the silhouette.

A small, single-storey extension marks the entrance on the left side of the building. Other characteristic details include the tapered brick chimney, the original dormer and the carefully articulated brickwork.

The restrained use of materials and the geometric composition reflect the changing architectural climate of the late 1920s. Compared with the exuberant eclectic villas built around 1900, this house has a more modern and functional character, while still fitting comfortably into the leafy setting of Villapark.

This detached villa at Sint Lambertuslaan 18 was built in 1909 in the Neo-Renaissance style. The architect is unknown. The building is now a municipal monument.

The Neo-Renaissance was particularly popular around the turn of the twentieth century for substantial urban residences. Architects drew inspiration from the architecture of the Renaissance, using elements such as symmetry, strong horizontal and vertical lines, decorative brickwork and carefully framed windows. These historical references were combined with the comfort and construction techniques of the modern city.

Built more than twenty years after the first villas appeared in Villapark, this house illustrates how the neighbourhood continued to develop while retaining a strong preference for spacious, representative architecture.

Together with its neighbours, Villa Sint Lambertuslaan 18 contributes to the varied architectural character of the avenue, where different styles and generations of villa design can be read side by side.

This house at Lambertusstraat 22 was built in 1905 in the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) style. It is now a municipal monument.

Jugendstil, the German expression of the international Art Nouveau movement, became increasingly popular around 1900. The style is characterised by flowing lines, elegant ornamentation, decorative patterns and references to natural forms. Rather than looking back literally to historical styles, it sought to create a new and distinctly modern visual language.

A house like this shows how new architectural ideas were making their way into Villapark and its surroundings. Around 1905, traditional styles such as Neo-Renaissance and eclecticism were still widely used, but architects were also beginning to experiment with more modern and decorative forms.

Look closely at the façade details. With Jugendstil, the quality of the design often lies not only in the overall form, but also in the ornamentation, flowing lines and the way doors, windows and other elements are brought together as a coherent whole.

This house at Sint Lambertusstraat 24 was built in 1905 in the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) style. It is now a municipal monument.

The house dates from a period when architects were increasingly searching for a new architectural language. Jugendstil moved away from the frequent use of historical styles and instead embraced elegant lines, natural forms and decorative details.

Around 1905, architecture in Maastricht was undergoing a period of change. Neo-Renaissance and eclecticism were still popular, but buildings influenced by the international Art Nouveau movement were also beginning to appear. Jugendstil gave architects the opportunity to treat not only the façade, but also windows, doors, ornamentation and other details as part of a unified design.

Sint Lambertusstraat 24 is a modest but distinctive example of this shift towards a more contemporary architecture. Together with the surrounding buildings, it illustrates the architectural diversity of Maastricht around 1905.

House at Sint Lambertusstraat 24

This house at Sint Lambertusstraat 24 was built in 1905 in the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) style. It is now a municipal monument.

The house dates from a period when architects were increasingly searching for a new architectural language. Jugendstil moved away from the frequent use of historical styles and instead embraced elegant lines, natural forms and decorative details.

Around 1905, architecture in Maastricht was undergoing a period of change. Neo-Renaissance and eclecticism were still popular, but buildings influenced by the international Art Nouveau movement were also beginning to appear. Jugendstil gave architects the opportunity to treat not only the façade, but also windows, doors, ornamentation and other details as part of a unified design.

Sint Lambertusstraat 24 is a modest but distinctive example of this shift towards a more contemporary architecture. Together with the surrounding buildings, it illustrates the architectural diversity of Maastricht around 1905.

Lepage / ten Brink

These four expressionist houses at Sint Lambertuslaan 23–29 were designed in 1928 by Maastricht architect Alphons J.N. Boosten, commissioned by W. Hommes.

Built on a curved plot along the street, the four houses form a carefully composed ensemble. A continuous, angular hipped roof ties the buildings together, creating an almost symmetrical silhouette, while the individual façades are deliberately asymmetrical. Tall, narrow chimneys and prominent slate roofs reinforce the strong, sculptural character of the group.

The two middle houses feature trapezoidal bay windows with the distinctive sawtooth timber cladding often associated with Boosten. The corner houses, numbers 23 and 29, have more individual and asymmetrical façades.

No. 23 is marked by a round-arched entrance with a projecting frame and stained-glass sidelights. No. 29 has a double bay window beneath a broad projecting canopy. Its entrance is set into a recessed porch, with a richly decorated door and an original red ceramic letterbox.

Look closely at the details around No. 29: the canopy above the entrance continues seamlessly into the frame of the vestibule window. It is a small but characteristic example of how Boosten treated the building as a coherent architectural composition, rather than simply a collection of separate elements.

The four houses are an excellent example of Boosten's expressionist architecture of the late 1920s: sculptural volumes, strong rooflines and carefully designed details combine to create a striking residential ensemble.

This block of three houses was designed in 1927 by Maastricht architect Alphons Boosten. The commission came from Ons Belang, which negotiated with prospective buyers after construction was completed.

Built on a corner plot, the building responds differently to its two streets. Along Glacisweg, it forms a broad, three-storey building with office spaces and an attic. The façade is deliberately flat and restrained, with only a horizontal ledge beneath the upper band of paired windows breaking its clean lines.

Above the entrance, three groups of windows are fitted with horizontal wooden bars, adding a subtle graphic element to the otherwise sober façade.

Along Lambertuslaan, the scale changes. Here, the two houses are lower and more domestic in character, with recessed entrances and projecting bay windows.

The building is an interesting example of Boosten's ability to adapt his architecture to its surroundings: urban and functional towards Glacisweg, more residential and intimate towards Lambertuslaan.

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At Glacisweg 1, one of the main access routes to the Sint Pieter district, this apartment building was completed in 2007–2008. It was designed by Slangen Hochstenbach Architecten, formerly known as Hari Gulikers Architecten, on the site of the former Terminus bowling alleys.

The building contains seven apartments, including a penthouse, as well as commercial spaces on the ground floor. A basement parking garage is accessed by a car lift.

Architecturally, the building is composed of two volumes of different heights. One rises to four storeys with a recessed fifth level, while the other has three storeys with a recessed fourth. The two volumes are deliberately finished in different materials and colours, making their separate identities visible.

Despite its contemporary design, the building responds carefully to the surrounding villa district. The two volumes can be read almost as two modern town villas placed side by side, creating a transition between the larger scale of the Glacisweg and the more domestic character of Villapark.

All the windows share the same proportions and are fitted with French balconies and distinctive railings, giving the façade a strong and consistent rhythm.

The building is a good example of how contemporary architecture can fit into a historic neighbourhood without imitating its past.

Villa Maria

Villa Maria, at the corner of Papenweg 1 and Sint Lambertuslaan, was built in 1904. Its prominent corner position gives the two-storey villa a distinctive presence in the streetscape.

The main building has a hipped roof, while the corner is marked by a small tower-like projection with a slate-covered pyramidal roof and decorative finial. On the Sint Lambertuslaan side, a broad three-sided bay window rises into a balcony, creating a strong vertical accent. The original window frames of the bay window have been retained, although the glazing has since been renewed.

A stone plaque on the upper floor bears the name ‘Villa Maria’ and the date ‘Anno Domini 1904’. The entrance on the Papenstraat side was added around 1954, providing another visible layer to the building's history.

Villa Maria originally served as a combined home and medical practice with a pharmacy. Today, the building has come full circle in an architectural sense: it is the headquarters of RuimteMakers Architecten.

The villa is a fine example of how a prominent corner site can be used to create a building that is both residential and representative, with the tower, bay window and balcony carefully emphasising its position at the intersection of two streets

This semi-detached villa at Sint Lambertuslaan 31–33 was built in 1909 and is now a municipal monument.

The two homes were designed as a single architectural composition. This was characteristic of Villapark, where detached and semi-detached villas were not only intended as comfortable homes, but also helped define the streetscape and the prestigious character of the new neighbourhood.

The date 1909 places the villa in a period when Villapark had already been developing for more than twenty years. The earliest houses were mainly inspired by Neo-Renaissance, Chalet Style and Eclecticism; by around 1909, villa architecture was becoming increasingly varied and individual.

Look closely at the relationship between the two houses. Although they are separate residences, the façade was conceived as one coherent composition. This interplay between individual homes and a unified architectural design is an important feature of the development of Villapark.

Together with the surrounding villas, No. 31–33 represents another layer in the history of Sint Lambertuslaan — a street where more than half a century of changing ideas about villa architecture can be read within just a few minutes' walk.

Semi-Detached Villa Sint Lambertuslaan 31–33

This semi-detached villa at Sint Lambertuslaan 31–33 was built in 1909 and is now a municipal monument.

The two homes were designed as a single architectural composition. This was characteristic of Villapark, where detached and semi-detached villas were not only intended as comfortable homes, but also helped define the streetscape and the prestigious character of the new neighbourhood.

The date 1909 places the villa in a period when Villapark had already been developing for more than twenty years. The earliest houses were mainly inspired by Neo-Renaissance, Chalet Style and Eclecticism; by around 1909, villa architecture was becoming increasingly varied and individual.

Look closely at the relationship between the two houses. Although they are separate residences, the façade was conceived as one coherent composition. This interplay between individual homes and a unified architectural design is an important feature of the development of Villapark.

Together with the surrounding villas, No. 31–33 represents another layer in the history of Sint Lambertuslaan — a street where more than half a century of changing ideas about villa architecture can be read within just a few minutes' walk.

These three adjoining houses date from 1909 and are now protected as municipal monuments.

Together, the three houses form a distinctive architectural ensemble while retaining their own individual character. This combination of separate homes within a coherent façade is characteristic of the development of Villapark in the early twentieth century.

The houses were built at a time when the neighbourhood was already well established. The original ideal of spacious and prestigious living in a green setting remained intact, while the architecture of the homes was becoming increasingly varied.

Look at the rhythm of the three houses as a whole. The repetition of the building volumes, windows and entrances creates a sense of unity, while subtle differences prevent the façade from feeling like an anonymous block.

These houses are a reminder that Villapark is not made up solely of grand detached villas. Terraced houses were also part of the varied residential environment that emerged here around 1900.

Kijk hier vooral naar het ritme van de drie woningen als geheel. De herhaling van bouwvolumes, ramen en entrees zorgt voor samenhang, terwijl kleine verschillen voorkomen dat de gevel als één anoniem blok gaat aanvoelen.

Juist dit soort ensembles laat zien dat het Villapark niet uitsluitend bestaat uit grote vrijstaande villa's. Ook aaneengesloten woonhuizen maakten deel uit van het gevarieerde woonmilieu dat hier rond 1900 ontstond.

Drie aaneengesloten woonhuizen

Deze drie aaneengesloten woonhuizen dateren uit 1909 en zijn tegenwoordig aangewezen als gemeentelijke monumenten.

De drie huizen vormen samen een herkenbaar ensemble, maar behouden tegelijkertijd hun eigen individuele karakter. Dat samenspel tussen afzonderlijke woningen en één samenhangend gevelbeeld is kenmerkend voor de ontwikkeling van het Villapark aan het begin van de twintigste eeuw.

De woningen werden gebouwd in een periode waarin de wijk al volop in ontwikkeling was. Het oorspronkelijke ideaal van ruim en representatief wonen in een groene omgeving bleef daarbij overeind, terwijl de vormgeving van de woningen steeds gevarieerder werd.

Kijk hier vooral naar het ritme van de drie woningen als geheel. De herhaling van bouwvolumes, ramen en entrees zorgt voor samenhang, terwijl kleine verschillen voorkomen dat de gevel als één anoniem blok gaat aanvoelen.

Juist dit soort ensembles laat zien dat het Villapark niet uitsluitend bestaat uit grote vrijstaande villa's. Ook aaneengesloten woonhuizen maakten deel uit van het gevarieerde woonmilieu dat hier rond 1900 ontstond.

This semi-detached villa at Van Waldeckstraat 24–26 was designed in 1929 by Maastricht architect Alphons J.N. Boosten. It represents the architecture of Villapark at the end of the 1920s.

Boosten was one of Maastricht's leading architects of the interwar period. In his work from these years, he increasingly moved away from historical ornament and experimented with a more modern architectural language. Volume, roof forms, asymmetry and rhythm became more important than decorative references to the past.

The idea of the semi-detached villa is interesting in itself. Two homes are brought together in a single architectural composition, creating a substantial and representative building without the scale of a large detached villa.

The house reflects another phase in the development of Villapark: almost forty years after the first villas appeared, the original ideal of spacious living in a green setting was still alive, but the architecture had acquired a distinctly more modern character.

Graaf van Waldeckstraat 18–20–22

These three expressionist townhouses under one roof were designed in 1929 by Maastricht architect Alphons J.N. Boosten, commissioned by W. Hommes.

The three houses form a strong architectural ensemble, while each retains its own character. The two corner houses have L-shaped plans, while the central house has a rectangular plan. Together they are unified by a gently curved hipped slate roof, a horizontal row of dormers and tall chimneys.

The most striking feature is the series of strongly projecting triangular bay windows. Their expressive timber cladding, executed in two colours in a characteristic sawtooth pattern, gives the façades a distinctly sculptural quality. At the central house, the bay window continues up to the first floor.

The ground-floor fanlights feature triangular motifs, reinforcing the geometric character of the design. The side façades are deliberately asymmetrical, with each house given a slightly different arrangement.

No. 18 retains several original details, including its dark green Eternit flower boxes, interior layout and two original brick gate pillars in the front garden.

These houses are a fine example of Boosten's expressionist architecture of the late 1920s. Instead of relying on historical ornament, he creates character through strong volumes, bold projections, contrasting materials and carefully designed details.

Video: Excerpt from De Stand van de Stad, an interview with Wim van den Berg, produced by NAi | ArchiNed.

This triple villa at Graaf van Waldeckstraat 12–14–16 was designed in 1930 by Maastricht architect Alphons J.N. Boosten.

The three residents — Messrs Meyer and Michiels and Mrs Jongen — were members of Ons Belang, the organisation through which a number of homes in this part of Villapark were commissioned.

Graaf van Waldeckstraat was one of the new streets created as the Villapark expanded. Boosten designed three clusters of villas here. Although the three blocks are closely related, each has subtle differences. This was the last of the three.

The building is a strong, compact volume beneath a substantial pitched roof. The entrances are placed in the two end façades, alongside small windows. On the long façade, powerful brick bay windows rise all the way to the roofline, giving the building a striking vertical rhythm.

The design shows Boosten's increasingly modern approach around 1930: rather than relying on applied ornament, he creates architectural expression through mass, geometry, repetition and carefully placed openings.

Together with the other two villa clusters, this building demonstrates how Boosten developed a distinctive architectural language for the expanding Villapark at the end of the 1920s and beginning of the 1930s.

This triple villa at Graaf van Waldeckstraat 6–8–10 was designed in 1932 by architect Ch.P.J. Muller.

The three houses form a single architectural composition, but the atmosphere is noticeably different from the interconnected villas designed nearby by Alphons J.N. Boosten. Where Boosten's work is often more sculptural and expressionist, Muller's design has a calmer, more horizontal character.

The street façade is particularly striking. Its strong horizontal lines, broad roof and carefully balanced composition can bring Frank Lloyd Wright to mind, especially in the way the individual homes are brought together as one continuous architectural form.

That does not necessarily mean that Muller was directly influenced by Wright, but the comparison is useful. Both architects explored ways of breaking away from the traditional nineteenth-century villa, using horizontal emphasis, geometric forms and an integration of several living units into one composition.

Built in 1932, the villa represents yet another step in the architectural development of Villapark. Within a few streets, the neighbourhood moves from the historicising villas of the late nineteenth century to the expressionism of Boosten and, here, towards a more modern and horizontally composed architecture.

Villa Graaf van Waldeckstraat 5

This villa at Graaf van Waldeckstraat 5 was built in 1926 for the Marres Chambille family, to a design by architect Frits Peutz. The house is designed in an Expressionist style and marks a new phase in the architectural development of Villapark.

Peutz, who would later become one of the leading figures in modern architecture in Maastricht, did not design a traditional villa with historical ornamentation here. Instead, the emphasis is on form, volume and composition. Expressionist architecture often seeks a more powerful and sculptural appearance, with building volumes, roof forms, windows and brickwork combined into a dynamic whole.

The villa dates from a period when Villapark was undergoing significant change. The Neo-Renaissance and Eclectic styles of the first generation of villas were increasingly giving way to architecture based on simpler forms and a more contemporary expression.

Look particularly at the composition of the façade and the way the different building volumes interlock. It is this spatial composition that gives the villa its distinctly Expressionist character.

Villa Graaf van Waldeckstraat 5 shows how, in the 1920s, Villapark once again became a setting for contemporary architecture — this time with Frits Peutz as one of Maastricht’s innovative architects.