Faculteit der Rechts­geleerdheid
ERFGOED
Bouillonstraat 1-3
Faculteit der Rechts­geleerdheid
In 1998, the Faculty of Law moved into the former Provincial Government building, designed in 1930 by chief government architect G.C. Bremer. The complex, listed as a state monument, was erected as an ingenious architectonic u-shaped arrangement around an already existing garden. Bremer fitted this edifice into its immediate surroundings with variously sized buildings by holding on to a single building line. The tower, with a height of 46.5 meters, was meant to emphasize the building’s significance as a public institution. The offices were to the right, while the public spaces, such as the halls for receptions and festivities, were on the left side of the tower. The provincial governor’s mansion was located behind the building’s left wing, in the courtyard wing; in this area the royal family’s sleeping quarters were found as well. From the balcony above the arcade at Boullionstraat, the highly placed guests could wave to the public. Bremer clearly found inspiration in Italian architecture. The striking tower, for example, evokes associations of that of the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. Various materials from other countries were applied in the interior. The corridors are done in Italian travertine and the various kinds of marble are from Sweden and the Czech Republic. Several artists from Limburg applied decorations, including glass artists Joep Nicolas and Jan Grégoire, and the sculptor Charles Vos. After taking over the building, Maastricht University changed as little as possible when renovating it, respecting the building as an expression of the time and style in which it was realized. The statue of Lady Justice, created by Vos and now adorning the entrance hall, once filled a niche in the façade of the former Hall of Justice, which currently serves as the main administrative building of Maastricht University.
© 2024 Art and Heritage Commission, Maastricht University