Gerard Moerdijk
Encyclopedia
Gerard Leendert Pieter Moerdijk (Zwaershoek farm near Nylstroom, Transvaal
, 4 March 1890 – Nylstroom, 29 March 1958), also known as Gerard Moerdyk, was a South African architect
best-known for designing the Voortrekker Monument
in Pretoria
.
Both Moerdyk's parents were Dutch
immigrants, who moved to South Africa
in 1888.
During the Second Boer War
(1899–1902) Gerard Moerdyk (then aged 10) was interred in the Standerton
concentration camp with his mother, two brothers and two sisters. After the war, the family lived in Pretoria
where Gerard went to the forerunner of Pretoria Boys High School
. He matriculated with honours in 1909 and qualified as an architect
at the Architectural Association in England
. He also studied in France
for a while and was exposed to classical Roman
and Renaissance
architecture in Italy
.
Moerdyk was the first South African to be an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects
.
Moerdyk returned to South Africa
in 1913 and received first prize for the design of a church in Bothaville
. He started his own practice and received more than eighty commissions to design churches. In his designs Moerdyk broke with the traditional crucifix
plan, and replaced it with an octagonal formation, and incorporated domes, crescent-shaped windows and Cape Dutch gables
.
He also designed several bank buildings, hospitals, houses and city halls. Commissioned works for which he is famous is the Reserve Bank
in Bloemfontein
, the Libertas building in Pretoria (now known as Mahlamba Ndlopfu
) and the Merensky Library at the University of Pretoria
. This last building, now known as the Old Merensky Library – since a new library has been built – houses the Edoardo Villa Museum with the leading collection of sculptures by the artist Eduardo Villa
.
. The foundation stone for this building was laid in 1937 by General Jan Smuts
, then Prime Minister
of South Africa
. In 1991 it was declared a National Monument.
The Voortrekker Monument
on Proclamation Hill at the southern outskirts of Pretoria
is considered to be Moerdyk's masterpiece.
The Central "Volks" (People's) Monuments Committee started a "Structure Committee" which approached the public in 1936 for suggestions about the contents and form of a monument. Several sketches from sculptors, architects and other artists were submitted. Moerdyk’s design was eventually chosen. E.C Pienaar and A.C. Bouman designed the sculptural laager, or ring of ox-wagons, around the monument.
The South African Academy for Arts and Science awarded Moerdyk an honorary membership in 1936 and in 1950 the University of South Africa
awarded him and honorary doctorate.
African restaurant in the Pretoria
suburb Arcadia
is named Gerard Moerdyk Restaurant, after him. It is situated in a house built by Moerdijk as a wedding gift to his wife, the second cousin to Paul Kruger
, in 1920.
Pretoria
also has a quaint little arts district on Gerard Moerdyk Street in the suburb of Sunnyside. It is known as The Overzicht Artists' Village and consists of attractive, old cottages, which were built around the 19th century. The village has theatres, craft shops, restaurants and an even an education museum.
I find the sentence about the restaurant very confusing. The house was not built for Gerards wife.And further his wife was no relative to Paul Kruger. She was Sylva Pirow' Daughter of Dr.Ferdinand Pirow who was a medical Dr. in Potchefstroom.
I am sure of my facts as I am the wife of Gerards only son Michel. Alida Moerdyk.[nee Holloway}
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
, 4 March 1890 – Nylstroom, 29 March 1958), also known as Gerard Moerdyk, was a South African architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
best-known for designing the Voortrekker Monument
Voortrekker Monument
The Voortrekker Monument is a monument in the city of Pretoria, South Africa. The massive granite structure, built to honour the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854, was designed by the architect Gerard Moerdijk who had the idea to design a "monument that would stand a...
in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
.
Early life, education and career
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
immigrants, who moved to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1888.
During the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
(1899–1902) Gerard Moerdyk (then aged 10) was interred in the Standerton
Standerton
Standerton is a large commercial and agricultural town lying on the banks of the Vaal River in Mpumalanga, South Africa which specialises in cattle, dairy, maize and poultry farming. The town was established in 1876 and named after Boer leader Commadant AH Stander. During the Second Boer War a...
concentration camp with his mother, two brothers and two sisters. After the war, the family lived in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
where Gerard went to the forerunner of Pretoria Boys High School
Pretoria Boys High School
Pretoria Boys High School, also known as Boys High or PBHS, is a public, fee charging, English medium high school for boys located in Brooklyn, Pretoria, in the Gauteng province of South Africa....
. He matriculated with honours in 1909 and qualified as an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
at the Architectural Association in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He also studied in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for a while and was exposed to classical Roman
Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
and Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
architecture in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Moerdyk was the first South African to be an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
.
Moerdyk returned to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1913 and received first prize for the design of a church in Bothaville
Bothaville
Bothaville is a maize farming town situated near the Vaal River in the Lejweleputswa DM of the Free State province, South Africa. It is situated 6km east of the Vaal, on the bank of its Vals River tributary...
. He started his own practice and received more than eighty commissions to design churches. In his designs Moerdyk broke with the traditional crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
plan, and replaced it with an octagonal formation, and incorporated domes, crescent-shaped windows and Cape Dutch gables
Cape Dutch architecture
-Introduction:Cape Dutch architecture is an architectural style found in the Western Cape of South Africa. The style was prominent in the early days of the Cape Colony, and the name derives from the fact that the initial settlers of the Cape were primarily Dutch...
.
He also designed several bank buildings, hospitals, houses and city halls. Commissioned works for which he is famous is the Reserve Bank
Reserve Bank
Reserve Bank can amongst other things be:*Reserve Bank of Australia*Reserve Bank of Fiji*Reserve Bank of India*Reserve Bank of New Zealand*South African Reserve Bank*Federal Reserve Bank *Reserve Bank of Vietnam...
in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, the Libertas building in Pretoria (now known as Mahlamba Ndlopfu
Mahlamba Ndlopfu
Mahlamba Ndlopfu is the Official Residence for the President of South Africa in Bryntirion, Pretoria.The house, formerly called Libertas, was designed by Architect Gerard Moerdijk in a traditional Cape Dutch style and completed in 1940 as the official residence for the Prime Minister of South...
) and the Merensky Library at the University of Pretoria
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria is a multi campus public research university located in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa...
. This last building, now known as the Old Merensky Library – since a new library has been built – houses the Edoardo Villa Museum with the leading collection of sculptures by the artist Eduardo Villa
Eduardo Villa
Edoardo Villa'Birth nameEdoardo Daniele VillaBorn31 May, 1915Bergamo, ItalyDied1 May, 2011Johannesburg, South AfricaNationalitySouth AfricanFieldSculptureTrainingAndrea Fontini Art SchoolMovementAbstract artcubismWorksThe Knot, Cape TownConfrontation, JohannesburgThrust, University of Pretoria...
.
. The foundation stone for this building was laid in 1937 by General Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
, then Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. In 1991 it was declared a National Monument.
Voortrekker Monument
Voortrekker Monument
The Voortrekker Monument is a monument in the city of Pretoria, South Africa. The massive granite structure, built to honour the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854, was designed by the architect Gerard Moerdijk who had the idea to design a "monument that would stand a...
on Proclamation Hill at the southern outskirts of Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
is considered to be Moerdyk's masterpiece.
The Central "Volks" (People's) Monuments Committee started a "Structure Committee" which approached the public in 1936 for suggestions about the contents and form of a monument. Several sketches from sculptors, architects and other artists were submitted. Moerdyk’s design was eventually chosen. E.C Pienaar and A.C. Bouman designed the sculptural laager, or ring of ox-wagons, around the monument.
The South African Academy for Arts and Science awarded Moerdyk an honorary membership in 1936 and in 1950 the University of South Africa
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa is a distance education university, with headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa. With approximately 300 000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the world's mega universities.-History:...
awarded him and honorary doctorate.
Legacy
A well-known ColonialColonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
African restaurant in the Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
suburb Arcadia
Arcadia, Pretoria
Arcadia is a suburb in Pretoria, South Africa that is known for its historical buildings, embassies and hotels. The Union Buildings and the President's residence are also situated here.The main thoroughfare is Park Street...
is named Gerard Moerdyk Restaurant, after him. It is situated in a house built by Moerdijk as a wedding gift to his wife, the second cousin to Paul Kruger
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger , better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Uncle Paul was State President of the South African Republic...
, in 1920.
Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
also has a quaint little arts district on Gerard Moerdyk Street in the suburb of Sunnyside. It is known as The Overzicht Artists' Village and consists of attractive, old cottages, which were built around the 19th century. The village has theatres, craft shops, restaurants and an even an education museum.
I find the sentence about the restaurant very confusing. The house was not built for Gerards wife.And further his wife was no relative to Paul Kruger. She was Sylva Pirow' Daughter of Dr.Ferdinand Pirow who was a medical Dr. in Potchefstroom.
I am sure of my facts as I am the wife of Gerards only son Michel. Alida Moerdyk.[nee Holloway}