Start house (Starthuis)

About this artwork.

Pleas note: Starthuis is not complete. It will be restored during the development of this part of Meerstad.

At the head of the two-kilometre rowing course in Harkstede is a structure that serves as a starting tower for the rowing competitions. A concrete wall on a post functions as a background for a large balcony that spans the entire width and is equipped with a balustrade. In the middle are two French doors surmounted by a fan-shaped steel structure; a lean-to from which the glass had soon disappeared. Nevertheless, it is an image defining element. The halo gives the building a cheerful appearance and at the same time forms the witty halo for the most important man of the race: the starting master. Behind the doors in the concrete wall hangs the office, a archetype of a house made of corrugated iron. It seems that the work is happening behind the scenes here. A narrow staircase opens up the building.
 
Start house lives up to its name in another respect as well: it was the first completed building by architect and artist John Körmeling (1951). Before that time, many of his designs were considered unfeasible. “Ladies and gentlemen, hello grass, hello sheep, hello cows,” he said in his opening speech, “what it says here is exactly what I want and for the first time in my life what others want too”.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  John Körmeling

• District
  Meerstad

• Year of creation
  1992

• Art type
  Art and architecture

• Material
  Concrete, Glass, Metal