The Alkmaar facade shields
Have you ever spotted them? Those colored signs next to the front doors on the facades of Alkmaar's national monuments? And they have a name: ''façade shields''. They come in three colors. In this blog we will tell you more about these special signs.
The colors of the facade shield
The facade shield is available in three colors. Every color has its own meaning. What they all have in common is that the buildings have a protected status in Alkmaar, which is special! Blue means that the building is a national monument, red indicates that it is a municipal monument and green means a landmark building.
What is decisive?
With a green facade shield it is an image-defining building. An iconic building concerns the silhouette, the roof (roof) and/or the facades that are visible from the public road. Did you know that Alkmaar has more than 4000 iconic buildings? Mostly homes on the canal and homes or shops in the city center of Alkmaar have that status.
What is a municipal monument?
With a red facade shield it is a municipal monument. The status of a municipal monument is given for the entire building based on local or regional importance. In the Netherlands, municipalities determine themselves which special buildings are on the municipal monument list. Have you spotted them in Alkmaar yet?
What is a national monument?
A national monument is indicated by a blue facade shield. Did you know that Alkmaar has 399 national monuments? The Alkmaars Cheese Warehouse and the building of the old Vroom & Dreesmann store are two of them. A national monument is a building that is of national importance due to its cultural-historical value and beauty. The national government protects national monuments with the aim of preserving their monumental value. National monuments fall under the Heritage Act.
Do you live in a monument?
Do you also want to know whether your house has monument status? Check it out monumenten.nl . This website is an initiative of the National Restoration Fund.
Do you also want a facade shield?
Not all iconic buildings, municipal monuments or national monuments have a facade shield. You decide this yourself as the owner. Do you think your home is eligible for a facade shield? The blue and red ones are available at the town hall. The green facade plaques in the museum shop of the Stedelijk Museum upon presentation of a letter. Owners of iconic buildings received this letter several years ago. Do you no longer have the letter? You can request the letter again via redactie@alkmaar.nl.
Would you like to read our other blogs?
View the overview of our blogs via the overview page. If you want to know something else, we have it on the frequently asked Questions an answer.
