Transmitting station Radio Kootwijk - Radio Kootwijk

Architect Julius Luthmann (1890-1973) was commissioned by the Post Telegraphy and Telephony (PTT) in 1918 to design the main building (Building A) and the water tower, for the purpose of the required cooling water. The building, entirely Art Deco-style, was constructed of 50-centimetre-thick concrete. The heat from the radiation would reduce a wooden building with nails to ashes in no time.

The building is also called the Cathedral of Radio Kootwijk. This designation is not borne by the residents of the village; they are proud of their transmitting station, which is not a cathedral. The architect, who had a keen interest in the history of Tutankhamun and Egyptian antiquity, was inspired by the Sphinx.

For the first few years, the transmitting station used long-wave technology to connect to the Dutch East Indies, our then colony. As technology did not stand still, it was replaced a short time later by short-wave technology and some changes were made to the building and grounds.

Walking around the imposing building, a number of details may catch your eye. Above the entrance you can see an Indian and a Dutch woman, both with their hands behind their ears. They are listening to the mask behind them. The vertical stripes represent the radio waves that formed the connection.

In the windows, you can see black studs. This is how the antenna wires came in during the shortwave period and were connected to the shortwave cabinets. The design of the window at the back of the building was inspired by Helsinki station. The eagle above that window, the king of birds, on the waves of the wind, was a symbolic experiment to see if you could cast sculptures from concrete.

The building and the land around it are now owned by the Forestry Commission (Staatsbosbeheer). If you want to see the beautiful building inside, you can only do so with a guided tour from the Forestry Commission. You will then see that the building is completely decorated in Art Deco style, in the colours black, dark green, red and cream. That almost the entire building is symmetrical and that the main hall has a beautiful floor with a nice story.