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HARTCAMP:  hc-L5 APT & ENCLAVE
[Written 2008]

[Due to restrictions on photography and entry I could not record this floor's enclave or living-spaces in the mid 1990s. In 2007 I was able to record the enclave's passage (open for renovation work). In 2008 I was finally able to record two apts, one inside the enclave and the isolated apt on the S-stair.]

Level 5 consists of both an isolated apt and a locked enclave of only two living-spaces. The independent apt opens only from Dacostakade south-stair's L5 landing. As with all the Hartcamp enclaves, the enclave opens both from Dacostacade's central-stair and its south-stair.

The L5 enclave is unique in that the Hartcamp dormer-windowed roof slopes inwards on its east side and possibly influenced the plan of spaces. Along the east edge there are only small store areas (associated with the dormer-window bays) and a fringing access corridor serving its two huge living-spaces. 

This is a completely self-contained and independent family home. 

The apartment's entry door is on level-5 landing of the Hartcamp south-stair - this sparsely used, rather bleak stone stair, circling a redundant lift-shaft used for storage, is its sole (and almost private) communication with the street, ten flights below. In the mid-90s the apt had climbed this stair and usurped parts of the circulation space on level-6 as semi-private rooms; before 2006 this extended territory was dismantled.

Its 'front-door' opens into a small lobby with the bathroom/wc. All other domestic needs are accomodated in a single large volume with no differentiation more physical than an open zoning of functions - this main space fills the building's southwest upper corner. 

Before Merkelbach added its level-6 'penthouse' this was the topmost level of Hartcamp's 'domestically-styled' 1921 building, which only here retains its sloping roof (a last vestige of its original south-end roofscape, now invisible from the ground). This big almost-square room thus hosts a unique dynamic form, a rhythmical sequence of long sloping rafters march (out of step) towards the big west window - at the top southern corner of Hartcamp's huge west facade.

HARTCAMP S-STAIR L5 LANDING WITH INDEPENDENT APT ENTRY (pic 20-4-08 / to W)	(UNNAMED) APT: LOBBY (pic 20-4-08 / to W) Entry to the main living-space ahead; to left is the bathroom/wc.	(UNNAMED) APT: MAIN LIVING-SPACE (pic 20-4-08 / to SSW)
(UNNAMED) APT: MAIN LIVING-SPACE - KITCHEN AREA (paste-up 2-pics 20-4-08 / to EES)	(UNNAMED) APT: MAIN LIVING-SPACE - FROM BED AREA (paste-up 2-pics 20-4-08 / to NE)	(UNNAMED) APT: BATHROOM (pic 20-4-08 / to S) The bathroom/wc opens from the lobby.

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HARTCAMP:  hc-L5 ENCLAVE

 

HARTCAMP: LEVEL 5 - ENCLAVE N-ENTRY (pic 24-9-07 / to EEN)  The enclave entry door from the dc centre-stair landing opens into a passage that skirts the inner side of the enclave's two large west-side living-spaces. Just inside the enclave entrance is the entry-door of the first of these [pic right] - an apt only recorded in 2008.	HARTCAMP: LEVEL 5 - ENCLAVE CORRIDOR (pic 24-9-07 / to S)  Along the building's east edge the enclave corridor is tucked beneath the dormered roof. The dormer window embrasures are used by the enclave occupants for storage; at this time building maintenance has usurped these spaces.	HARTCAMP: LEVEL 5 - ENCLAVE CORRIDOR DORMER WINDOW (pic 19-4-08 / to S)

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hc-L5 ENCLAVE LIVING-SPACES
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The present apt was designed/made by its occupant and Radboud [Ref: hc4] in 2006.

An almost completely open single L-shaped volume containing a marvellously rich collection of disparate and conjoined motifs, equipment, collected and invented objects, inherent features of the building (the 'damaged' concrete floor), only partially-enclosing screens, rich colours. Almost all the contents of this extraordinary apt, from tiny objects up to the scale of large equipment serving primary living-functions (such as bath, stove, bed) are mutually on show to each other, or at least never completely//hardly seperated. A feeling of convenience and freedom of use and relaxation is one of the results of this continuous interchange of differences and open availability for needs.

(UNNAMED) APT: ENTRY (pic 19-4-08 / to NW) The entrance door from the enclave corridor.	(UNNAMED) APT: SITTING-SPACE (pic 19-4-08 / to W)	(UNNAMED) APT: SITTING-SPACE (pic 19-4-08 / to SSW)
(UNNAMED) APT: SITTING-SPACE FLOOR (pic 19-4-08 / to SSW) A damaged portion of the original factory floor retained as a 'sculptural event'.	(UNNAMED) APT: ENTRY (pic 19-4-08 / to NE)	(UNNAMED) APT: BEDROOM ENTRY, PLATFORM-STAIR, MIRROR. (pic 19-4-08 / to E)
(UNNAMED) APT: BEDROOM (pic 19-4-08 / to E)	(UNNAMED) APT: BEDROOM (pic 19-4-08 / to S)	(UNNAMED) APT: BEDROOM (pic 19-4-08 / to WWN)
(UNNAMED) APT: BEDROOM DETAIL (pic 19-4-08 / to SW)	(UNNAMED) APT:  (pic 19-4-08 / to EEN)	(UNNAMED) APT: TABLE TO BATH (pic 19-4-08 / to NE)
(UNNAMED) APT: TABLE (pic 19-4-08 / to SE)	(UNNAMED) APT: BATH AND SKYLIGHT (pic 19-4-08 / to NNE)	(UNNAMED) APT: SWOWER (pic 19-4-08 / to WWN)
(UNNAMED) APT: KITCHEN, BATH, SHOWER (pic 19-4-08 / to NW)	(UNNAMED) APT: KITCHEN (pic 19-4-08 / to SSE)

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HARTCAMP: hc-L6 'penthouse'

There are two routes to this ultimate Hartcamp destination:

The first route is up the centre stair to its topmost L6 landing, which offers three choices: to exit a door onto the external north-east terrace and the gangway of Merkelbach's 'penthouse' apts; to turn immediately right into the tiny steel lobby of a spiral stair up to the L7 'look-out' room (a pause on the climb to Dacostakade's ultimate roof); or ignore these and choose a door between them: the 'front-door' of Frank April's huge studio-apt in the south 'penthouse', added by Merkelbach in 1963 as the Tetterode directors' dining and conference room. The other route is up Hartcamp's south-east stair to its topmost L6 landing; there, by negotiating a confusing doored passage (apparantly semi-domesticated), one finds an exit onto an exterior terrace which extends around the south and west sides of Frank's 'penthouse' - past his 'back-door', glass bedroom, and his studio's west windows.

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