tile panel 1000 Homes Plan (Tegeltableau 1000 Woningen Plan)

About this artwork.

In 1950, a unique project was established in the province of Groningen: the 1000 Homes Plan. The reason was the housing shortage, a consequence of the fact that hardly any new houses were built during and shortly after the Second World War. It was the mayor of Ulrum, Huib Ottevanger, who launched the plan. He had the architectural firm Kuiler & Drewes make a design for modular houses and approached municipalities in Groningen to ask if they wanted to participate. For example, 1165 more or less identical homes were built in 31 Groningen municipalities in two years. It was the first massive reconstruction project in the Netherlands.
In almost all 31 municipalities, a tile tableau by the Groningen ceramicist Anno Smith was placed on one of the facades of the newly built homes. The images represent the coats of arms of the participating municipalities, with the coat of arms of the former municipality of Haren underneath in large format.
 
During the demolition of the rental homes on Torenlaan and Kroonkampweg in 1998, the tile panel was given a place on the facade of the newly built flat, and a memorial stone with the following text was added:

THIS MEMORIAL IS ON APRIL 29, 1998
REPLACED UNDER REPLACEMENT
NEW CONSTRUCTION OF 26 RENTAL HOUSES
ON THE TOWERLAAN AND KROONKAMPWEG
 
In the post-war period, the ceramist Anno Smith (1915-1990) made many hundreds of portico decorations and facade pictures for the city of Groningen, intended for residential complexes, schools, shops and factories. It is no coincidence that ceramic experts call Anno Smith 'the greatest decorator'.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Anno Smith

• District
  Haren en omgeving

• Year of creation
  1950

• Art type
  Art in / on a building

• Material
  Ceramics

• Dimensions
  h 0,67 x b 0,69 x d 0,15 m