Villa Vrededael

The building was commissioned in 1896 by the manufacturer G. van Thiel, son of P. van Thiel, founder of the metal industry Fa. P. van Thiel en Zonen. The detached, block-shaped house was built in neo-Renaissance style. In the garden a small coach house. From the villa one has a view of the Van Thiel factories, located on the other side of the Zuid-Willemsvaart. One also has a view of the Pater de Leeuwstraat 1-3 villa, which is also owned by the Van Thiel family. Along this street are also several other management villas of the firm. After about 1960, the crowning of the facade tower was simplified and a conservatory was built on the east side.

Description

The detached two-storey villa has an almost square ground plan and is covered by a flat roof with slate-in-love surrounds. The facades are brick with a plastered plinth. The façade on Kapelstraat and Zuid-Willemsvaart both have three window axes. By means of a bay window, a slightly risible façade tower (simplified after the Second World War), a sloping corner façade with a bay window resting on consoles, all on the side of Kapelstraat, and by placing stepped gables, neo-Gothic dormers and a brick column with sculptures against the roof sheathing, an attempt was made to enliven the building volume and the silhouette. The brick mosaic fields under the stepped gables are striking. Where these are missing, a richly decorated segmental arch frieze has been applied. Striking is the rich decoration with hard and limestone frames and ornaments, especially on the southeast corner (the side of the main road); bands, cartouches in the facade tower (with the text: "1896 / Vrededael" and floral motifs), consoles (on which there are lisons on the upper storey), corbels and keystones in the frames (partly with lion's heads and mascarons on the stepped gables and upper storey windows), spherical pinnacles on stepped gables and the parapet, and a lion with its coat of arms on the corner pillar. The paneled door in the southern facade has a rich hardstone pilaster frame with a portrait medallion, wrought-iron door grilles, woodcarving and an upper light divided by a console. Simple T-hinged or sliding windows are placed throughout. The one-storeyed coach house has a rectangular ground plan and is covered by a composite ridge roof with slate in Maas coverings, with zinc pirates. The shallow garden is separated from the street by wrought-iron arrowhead fencing suspended from cast iron columns.

Appreciation

The villa is of general importance. The building is important as a special expression of the socio-economic development of the area near the Zuid-Willemsvaart, which around 1900 developed into an industrial area. It has architectural-historical importance because of its picturesque composition and the special ornamentation. It is of special significance because of its location, connected with the development and expansion of the village. It is important because of the architectural integrity of the exterior and interior. The rich variety of forms and materials of the villa and the presence of coach house and garden gate provide a remarkable range of historical experiences and impressions.

Today, the building houses a restaurant, a sandwich shop and various businesses.