The mining colony Cité-West is situated west of the
Koolmijnlaan, the new main road linking Beverlo and Beringen that was
constructed when the mine was founded on the heath in 1906. The area is now
best known as Tuinwijk Koersel. Sometimes the name Kleine Heide is used. Development
of the Cité-West started along the Tennisstraat. This road is an extension of
the Ulfortstraat that once linked the hamlet of Ulfort to the
Beverlosesteenweg. Here and on the Krommestraat short rows of quadruple
terraced houses (vierwoonsten) and
some semidetached houses (dubbelwoonsten)
were built after 1923 according to designs made in 1920 by the architect A.
Huybrighs who was also responsible for the Cité-Oost. The Tennisstraat takes
its name from the tennis club for colliery personnel that is still located along
this street. Parallel to this small first development the Eeuwfeestplein
(literally: Centenary Square) was built. The name however suggests completion
around 1929-'30 (as 1930 was the centenary of the independent Belgian state).
Between the Tennisstraat and the Koolmijnlaan sporting
grounds were made. A small football stadium with wooden stands was completed in
1925. Fronting the main road four identical rows of terraced houses with four
dwellings each were built. These short terraces also date to about the same
period. The Stadionlaan (literally: Stadium Avenue) connects these sporting
grounds to the Beverlosesteenweg. On this road comparatively large semidetached
houses were built. These houses will probably also date from around 1924-'25.
Between the Stadionlaan and the Eeuwfeestplein a large Hotel (lodgings) was
built. The tapering green with houses on either side was designed around this
large building.
South of this green a similar setup was chosen for the
Kioskplein. Completed in 1927 these semidetached houses for middle management
are situated around a public garden with a bandstand (kiosk) in the middle. The
houses are built in an elaborate vernacular Flemish style in brick with stepped
and bell-shaped gables and adorned with two-toned wooden shutters on the ground
floor. In 1929 a large festival hall called the Casino was built on the far end of the Kioskplein.
Via the Kioskplein the Cité-West is connected to a 20 acre park. Within these
beautifully landscaped grounds the villa of the director stood. The villa was completed in 1912 and was built
in an eclectic Walloon style. An ornate wall still separates this once private
park from the Koolmijnlaan. The building was known to the miners as 't
Kasteeltje (the little castle). In 1936 the building was extended on the north
side by the addition of a winter garden and veranda. Sadly the villa was burnt
down by vandals in 1979 and now sits ruined at the heart of the park that has
been opened to the public.
Directly south of the directors private park large
villa's were built to house engineers and upper management. Work started in
1912 with the first villa's and continued during the 1920s. The result is a
long ribbon of houses in an eclectic style facing towards the Koolmijnlaan
directly opposite the colliery. Behind this ribbon of villas the tennis club
was located along the Tennisstraat. Behind the directors park a site was bought
to build a hospital. The building is now converted into a care home for the
elderly. Directly next to the hospital a villa was built for the hospitals first
physician. Further south along the Hospitaalstraat some large houses for doctors
were erected.
Extending westwards from the Stadionlaan the Cité-West
was enlarged west of the Beverlosesteenweeg in 1946 around the Gouden
Jubileumplein (literally: Golden Jubilee Square). The plans were again drawn up
by the architect A. Huybrighs. Planning for this part of the mining colony had
already started in the 1930s but the economic crisis halted further
development. The buildings are variations on previously built types albeit
somewhat simplified. In 1963 a few semidetached houses were added on the far
end. These simple houses would be the last to be built under the auspices of
the mine. In 1989 the mine would close and the area directly next to the
Cité-West was quickly filled with detached houses of little architectural
quality and vision.
The Cité-West was gradually
developed over decades according to plans made in the 1920s (area between
Koolmijnlaan and Beverlosesteenweg) and in the 1930s (Gouden Jubileumplein).
Unlike the neigbouring mining colony Cité-Oost the
pre-existing thoroughfare called Beverlosesteenweg (in yellow) isn't picked up
in the design. Instead the Tennisstraat (T) an elongation of an old road is
used as the central road. The second important line is the Havenlaan (H) itself
another elongation of another old road. Lastly the Stadionlaan (SL) that leads
to the Stadium (S) and football fields (1) forms the axis of the expanded
garden village setup around the Gouden Jubileumplein (3). The tapering form of
the Eeuwfeestplein (2) stems from the limitation of a large villa (V) in a
private park and a parallel road. Part of this road is still the western edge
of the Kioskplein (4). The bandstand (K) is the termination point of a side
axis connecting it to the hospital chapel (Ziekenhuis - Z). Parallel to this
line the house of the first physician (Dr) was situated on the main axis T. The
Casino (C) is aligned with this axis and the main axis T. Between this main
axis T and the Koolmijnlaan (KL) the villa of the director (D) was located
within its own park (5). The company director lived close to the main offices
of the mine (O). Opposite to the colliery offices the Café Modern (M) still stands.
The rather mathematic layout of
the second mining colony in Beringen-Mijn is partly due to the way this former
heathland was cultivated and partly due to the focus on central greens around
which the houses are grouped in a village-like setting. In contrast to the
first garden village (Cité-Oost) the Cité-West is designed on the basis of
axiality.
Compared to the Cité-Oost the Cité-West has been
better preserved. Some parts have also been designated an architectural
monument (for instance the beautiful; Kioskplein). But also in this part of
Beringen-Mijn the inhabitants have acquired ownership of their houses which in
some cases has led to ill-considered augmentations and modernizations. It is
however possible to right these wrongs and develop Beringen-Mijn into a true
heritage site that provides the context to the mine museum in the former
colliery buildings!
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