Oog in Al
Encyclopedia
Oog in Al is a residential area in the west of the city of Utrecht
in the Netherlands
. The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal
, the Merwede Canal and the Leidse Rijn
canal form the area's limits, rendering it a man-made island in the shape of a triangle.
From the 12th century, the area of present-day Oog in Al was part of the 'Trechter Weide', the communal meadow of the city of Utrecht. The meadow was divided in the 'Hoge Weide' and 'Lage Weide' (high meadow and low meadow), divided by a canal, the Vletsloot. Oog in Al was later built in the 'Hoge Weide' part of the communal meadow.
The Leidse Rijn was dug in 1663-1664 as a water transport link between Utrecht and Leiden. The Utrecht nobleman Everard Meyster built a residential estate in a curve of the new canal, where a new city expansion planned by mayor Hendrik Moreelse, could best be viewed. For this reason Meyster called his estate "Oog in Al" (Eye in All).
When the Merwede Canal was dug at the end of the 19th century, the area surrounding the estate underwent a radical change. As the Canal could only be crossed by way of a limited number of bridges, it constituted a barrier to further city expansion in the Oog in Al area. The City of Utrecht nevertheless purchased the ground in 1918 with a view to the development of a new residential area.
The architects Berlage
and Holsboer designed the layout of Utrecht's western expansion, which included plans for the residential area Oog in Al. Adjacent to the present-day Park Oog in Al, a first batch of 381 spacious middle class homes was constructed in 1921. Meyster's estate was preserved and currently houses the area's public library.
The street pattern of the south eastern part of present-day Oog in Al reflects the original design of Berlage and Holsboer. The Robert Schumannstraat, in the oldest part of the area, boasts a row of terraced houses designed by Gerrit Rietveld
.
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal
Amsterdam-Rhine Canal
The Amsterdam–Rhine Canal or Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal is a canal in the Netherlands that was built to connect the port city of Amsterdam to the main shipping artery of the Rhine...
, the Merwede Canal and the Leidse Rijn
Leidse Rijn
The Leidse Rijn is a canal in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands.It was dug since the Middle Ages when the meandering old Rhine course silted up....
canal form the area's limits, rendering it a man-made island in the shape of a triangle.
From the 12th century, the area of present-day Oog in Al was part of the 'Trechter Weide', the communal meadow of the city of Utrecht. The meadow was divided in the 'Hoge Weide' and 'Lage Weide' (high meadow and low meadow), divided by a canal, the Vletsloot. Oog in Al was later built in the 'Hoge Weide' part of the communal meadow.
The Leidse Rijn was dug in 1663-1664 as a water transport link between Utrecht and Leiden. The Utrecht nobleman Everard Meyster built a residential estate in a curve of the new canal, where a new city expansion planned by mayor Hendrik Moreelse, could best be viewed. For this reason Meyster called his estate "Oog in Al" (Eye in All).
When the Merwede Canal was dug at the end of the 19th century, the area surrounding the estate underwent a radical change. As the Canal could only be crossed by way of a limited number of bridges, it constituted a barrier to further city expansion in the Oog in Al area. The City of Utrecht nevertheless purchased the ground in 1918 with a view to the development of a new residential area.
The architects Berlage
Hendrik Petrus Berlage
thumb|120px|left|BerlageHendrik Petrus Berlage, Amsterdam, 21 February 1856 — The Hague 12 August 1934, was a prominent Dutch architect.-Overview:...
and Holsboer designed the layout of Utrecht's western expansion, which included plans for the residential area Oog in Al. Adjacent to the present-day Park Oog in Al, a first batch of 381 spacious middle class homes was constructed in 1921. Meyster's estate was preserved and currently houses the area's public library.
The street pattern of the south eastern part of present-day Oog in Al reflects the original design of Berlage and Holsboer. The Robert Schumannstraat, in the oldest part of the area, boasts a row of terraced houses designed by Gerrit Rietveld
Gerrit Rietveld
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld was a Dutch furniture designer and architect. One of the principal members of the Dutch artistic movement called De Stijl, Rietveld is famous for his Red and Blue Chair and for the Rietveld Schröder House, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.-Biography:Rietveld was born in...
.
Famous inhabitants
- The football player Marco van Basten
- Olympic speed skatingSpeed skatingSpeed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
champion Jochem UytdehaageJochem UytdehaageJochem Simon Uytdehaage is a former Dutch long track speed skater and two-time Olympic champion. He retired in 2007 at the age of 30, following two consecutive seasons of poor results.-Biography:...
. - Author Geert van Istendael spent part of his childhood in the area.