Dom Tower of Utrecht
Encyclopedia
The Dom Tower of Utrecht
is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands
, at 112.5 metres (368 feet) in height, and the Gothic
-style tower is the symbol of the city. The tower was part of the Cathedral of Saint Martin, Utrecht
, also known as Dom Church, and was built between 1321 and 1382, to a design by John of Hainaut. The cathedral was never fully completed due to lack of money. Since the unfinished nave collapsed in 1674 the Dom tower became a free standing tower.
The tower stands at the spot where the city of Utrecht originated almost 2,000 years ago.
to protest against the vanity of such an immense project, suggesting it was too tall, too expensive and all but aesthetic.
The tower consists of two square blocks, topped by a much lighter lantern. One of the most striking features is the absence of visible buttress
es. Its particular shape and original architecture had a large influence on many other towers in the Netherlands, including the Martinitoren
in Groningen. Upon completion in 1382 the tower stood 109 metres tall. However this height was increased during the restorations in 1910, to its present height of 112.5 metres.
The Dom tower was a multifunctional building. In addition to being a belfry, it contained a private chapel of the bishop of Utrecht on the first floor. It also served as the watchtower; the tower guard was housed on the second floor of the lower square block.
The Dom Tower has an exceptional peal of fourteen ringing bells, weighing 32,000 kg. In 1505 Geert van Wou, in his time the most famous bell-founder of the Netherlands, made a harmonious peal of thirteen bells. The seven smallest bells, sold in 1664 to finance the new carillion, were recast in 1982 by Eijsbouts
. The largest bell, the Salvator, has a weight of 8,200 kg and a diameter of 227 cm. Together with the fourteenth bell, they form the largest existing homogeneous group of medieval bells. Today the bells are set in motion by the members of the Utrecht Klokkenluiders Gilde.
In 1625, Jacob van Eyck
became carillon
player of the Dom Tower. In 1664, a new carillon was installed by Juriaan Sprakel of Zutphen, with a mechanism consisting of 35 chimes, made by the brothers Pieter and François Hemony
. In 1972 the carillon was restored and extended to 50 bells.
was never completely finished, and in 1674 a fierce storm destroyed this part of the cathedral, but the tower was undamaged. The remaining section of the church and the tower were never reconnected, and a street and Domplein square now separate the two structures. In the summer of 2004, however, a mock nave was constructed out of scaffolding to commemorate the missing link. The floorplan of the missing section is shown by the multicoloured paving of the square.
In 1836 the top floor of the tower was heavily damaged in a storm. Demolition of the tower was seriously considered, however it was subsequently restored, which took five years.
It is also possible to get married in the tower.
installed on the Dom tower.
Broadcast on 102.3 MHz FM, Radio DOM was part of the exhibition Panorama 2000, organised by the Centraal Museum
in Utrecht.
) and a skyscraper of 262 metres in height has been proposed, challenging this long-standing tradition. The plans for this tower, however, have been cancelled due to the economic crisis.
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...
is the tallest church tower 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...
, at 112.5 metres (368 feet) in height, and the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
-style tower is the symbol of the city. The tower was part of the Cathedral of Saint Martin, Utrecht
Cathedral of Saint Martin, Utrecht
St. Martin's Cathedral, Utrecht, or Dom Church was the cathedral of the diocese of Utrecht during the Middle Ages. Once the Netherland's largest church, dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, it is one of the country's two pre-Reformation cathedrals, along with the cathedral in Middleburg, Province...
, also known as Dom Church, and was built between 1321 and 1382, to a design by John of Hainaut. The cathedral was never fully completed due to lack of money. Since the unfinished nave collapsed in 1674 the Dom tower became a free standing tower.
The tower stands at the spot where the city of Utrecht originated almost 2,000 years ago.
Design and construction
The Dom Tower was one of the largest towers constructed in Europe during the fourteenth century, and it was planned to show the power of the church of Utrecht. Its construction led preacher Geert GrooteGeert Groote
Gerard Groote , otherwise Gerrit or Gerhard Groet, in Latin Gerardus Magnus, was a Dutch preacher and founder of the Brethren of the Common Life and a key figure in the Devotio Moderna movement....
to protest against the vanity of such an immense project, suggesting it was too tall, too expensive and all but aesthetic.
The tower consists of two square blocks, topped by a much lighter lantern. One of the most striking features is the absence of visible buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. Its particular shape and original architecture had a large influence on many other towers in the Netherlands, including the Martinitoren
Martinitoren
The Martinitoren is the highest church tower in the city of Groningen, The Netherlands.The tower is located at the north-eastern corner of the Grote Markt , is part of the Martinikerk . The tower contains a brick spiral staircase consisting of 260 steps, and the carillon within the tower contains...
in Groningen. Upon completion in 1382 the tower stood 109 metres tall. However this height was increased during the restorations in 1910, to its present height of 112.5 metres.
The Dom tower was a multifunctional building. In addition to being a belfry, it contained a private chapel of the bishop of Utrecht on the first floor. It also served as the watchtower; the tower guard was housed on the second floor of the lower square block.
Bells
Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry
Royal Eijsbouts is a bell foundry located in Asten, Netherlands.The workshop was founded in 1872 by Bonaventura Eijsbouts as a "factory for tower clocks." In 1893 Eijsbouts was joined by his 15 year old son, Johan, and the workshop expanded to begin supplying striking and swinging bells, which...
. The largest bell, the Salvator, has a weight of 8,200 kg and a diameter of 227 cm. Together with the fourteenth bell, they form the largest existing homogeneous group of medieval bells. Today the bells are set in motion by the members of the Utrecht Klokkenluiders Gilde.
In 1625, Jacob van Eyck
Jacob van Eyck
Jonkheer Jacob van Eyck was a Dutch nobleman and musician. He was one of the best-known musicians in The Netherlands in the seventeenth century as a carillon player, expert in bell casting and tuning, organist, recorder virtuoso, and composer.Van Eyck was born blind into a noble family in the...
became carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
player of the Dom Tower. In 1664, a new carillon was installed by Juriaan Sprakel of Zutphen, with a mechanism consisting of 35 chimes, made by the brothers Pieter and François Hemony
Pieter and François Hemony
François Hemony and his brother Pieter Hemony were the greatest carillon bell founders in the history of the Low Countries...
. In 1972 the carillon was restored and extended to 50 bells.
Storm Damage
The cathedral's naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was never completely finished, and in 1674 a fierce storm destroyed this part of the cathedral, but the tower was undamaged. The remaining section of the church and the tower were never reconnected, and a street and Domplein square now separate the two structures. In the summer of 2004, however, a mock nave was constructed out of scaffolding to commemorate the missing link. The floorplan of the missing section is shown by the multicoloured paving of the square.
In 1836 the top floor of the tower was heavily damaged in a storm. Demolition of the tower was seriously considered, however it was subsequently restored, which took five years.
Tourism and weddings
The tower has its own visitor centre, RonDom (a Portmanteau of 'Rond' -around- and 'Dom'), which is located in the square. As well as stocking a range of souvenirs, they organise a number of activities centred on the tower, including regular guided tours which allow people to climb the 465 steps to the top of the Dom Tower. On a clear day it is possible to see both Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The booking office for guided tours is located in the square at the foot of the tower.It is also possible to get married in the tower.
Radio DOM (1999)
Radio DOM was an automatic radio-station located on the Dom tower in Utrecht, which from June 4, 1999 until October 3, 1999 broadcast an audio 'soundscape' based on the sounds of the city of Utrecht. Radio DOM got its inputs from six computer-controlled surveillance microphones installed at a height of 80 metres on the Dom tower, which constantly scanned the central area of the city. The sound signals picked up by these microphones were algorithmically combined into a continuously varying soundscape which was broadcast 24 hours a day by an FM radio transmitterTransmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
installed on the Dom tower.
Broadcast on 102.3 MHz FM, Radio DOM was part of the exhibition Panorama 2000, organised by the Centraal Museum
Centraal Museum
The Centraal Museum is a museum in Utrecht, The Netherlands. The museum was founded in 1838. Initially, the collection - exhibited on the top floor of the Utrecht townhall - was limited to art related to the city of Utrecht...
in Utrecht.
Local Planning Restrictions
Until recently, the unwritten rule in evaluating planning applications in the city of Utrecht was that no building could be built that exceeded the Dom Tower in height. This restriction seems to have been dispensed for plans in the developing suburban area in the west of Utrecht (Leidsche RijnLeidsche Rijn
Leidsche Rijn is a neighbourhood under construction west of Utrecht in the central Netherlands. The neighbourhood is expected to be completed in 2025 and will have approximately 80,000 inhabitants....
) and a skyscraper of 262 metres in height has been proposed, challenging this long-standing tradition. The plans for this tower, however, have been cancelled due to the economic crisis.