The Lorraine style is the architecture of the miners’ housing built in the eastern coalfield of South Limburg, in the Netherlands, in the early twentieth century — recognisable by facades that combine large rendered panels with exposed brickwork. The name refers to the Lorraine region: the De Wendel family, who took over the Oranje-Nassau concession in 1908, brought the building tradition of their home region with them.
Background
When the mines opened around 1900, the demand for labour grew — and with it the demand for housing. The mining companies built entire colonies themselves. This was not charity but business sense: well housed workers stayed longer, were healthier and produced more. The houses were deliberately generous, each with its own garden where residents could grow vegetables and keep chickens.
Characteristics
- Rendered facade panels — large, usually light coloured render between bands and surrounds of exposed brick. This looked fresher than an all brick front
- Simple rectangular plans — efficient and solid, without superfluous projections
- Repetition in blocks — houses in terraces or blocks of two to four, each using the same facade type
- Green layout — generous front gardens, back gardens and planted strips; the colonies read as garden suburbs rather than as city streets
- Solid construction — heavy masonry walls, timber floor joists and a simple pitched roof, usually tiled
Where to find them
The best known examples are in Heerlen and Landgraaf, including the De Leenhof mining colony. Building continued in this manner into the 1920s. Many of these neighbourhoods now have protected status as listed buildings or conservation areas, which means that alterations and facade changes almost always need to be agreed with the local authority.
Related terms
- Workers housing
- Architectural style
- Render
- Historic value
- Listed building
- Ribbon development
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