Het Witte Huis (the White House)
The designation is a bit laughable these days. However, with its 10 floors and total height of 45m, Het Witte Huis was the first skyscraper in Europe in 1898. It should be pointed out, however, that the characteristic feature of skyscrapers, the steel structure that lends the building the necessary flexibility and keeps weight low, is absent. The architect of Het Witte Huis employed traditional bearing walls. Construction of such a high building using this technique required the walls in the cellars to be 1.4 m thick. Towards the top of the building, where the walls bear less and less weight, they are a ‘modest’ 40 cm thick. The building is covered with white-glazed tiles with plant and flower motifs. This touch of Art Nouveau is also repeated in the stained-glass windows and the ironwork.
Sculptures
The niches on the outside of the building are occupied by five sculptures made by Simon Miedema. The figures symbolise Progress, Industry, Trade, Shipping and Agriculture.
Attraction
In its initial years, Het Witte Huis enjoyed great fame. It was the destination of thousands of day-trippers. They proudly had themselves immortalised in the special photo studio on the 10th floor. Today, Het Witte Huis accommodates various offices and the well-known student café Het Bolwerk.