Reason for the Award:
With limited maintenance over the last century, the cathedral was facing extensive structural and other conservation issues. The roofs and especially the gutters were leaking. The lead in the stained glass was no longer functional and water infiltration had led to considerable damage to the masonry and to the decay of wooden elements in the roof. Many decorative elements, such as the polychromy featured on the exterior and unrealised designs in the interiors, were lost, due to weather damage or to a lack of knowledge of the original intention of Cuypers. The project was funded from various sources, including central, provincial and local governments, the diocese and the parish as well as various foundations and individuals.
The project has successfully restored the cathedral to its former glory. The cathedral now has new museum spaces and improved facilities for concerts and congresses. One of the most important aspects of the restorations was the work on the decorative elements, particularly a painted strip of text of the Te Deum hymn, which had never been realised due to lack of funds. The words of the hymn are now in their intended place, under the highest row of windows throughout the entire cathedral and within the dome. In the interior, the cleaning of the walls led to a deeper understanding of the intentions of the architect.
source:https://www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/cathedral-saint-bavo-haarlem-netherlands/
About the The Cathedral of Saint Bavo:
The Cathedral of Saint Bavo is a cathedral in Haarlem, the Netherlands, built by Joseph Cuypers from 1895 to 1930 to replace the former waterstaatskerk in the Jansstraat called the St. Joseph. That church was itself a replacement for the Sint-Bavokerk, that had been converted to Protestantism from Catholicism in 1578. The Cathedral of Saint Bavo now serves as the main cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam. Within the Cathedral, the former sacristy has been converted into a small museum (schatkamer) containing historical artefacts from Haarlem's Catholic past.
History of the building
Since 1853 the church of St. Joseph served as a cathedral but it proved to be too small almost immediately, despite enlargements. Bishop Gaspard Bottemanne started the planning for building a new cathedral in 1893, which was to serve as a cathedral as well as a parish church.[1] The original intention was to ask Pierre Cuypers to design the church, and it's possible he even made a first design, but due to his age his son, Joseph Cuypers, became the architect instead. Cuypers at first designed a church in a neo-gothic style that still clearly showed the influence of his father, but eventually, after numerous changes, Cuypers decided to focus on a neo-romanesque style instead, with influences from Byzantine and jugendstil architecture.
Construction started in 1895 with the choir and its radiating chapels, and on April 1, 1898 the cathedral was consecrated. In the years 1902 - 1906 construction continued with the transept and nave. Due to shortage of money the construction of the towers was postponed until 1927. In this period Cuypers was assisted by his son Pierre Cuypers Jr.
Despite the size of this cathedral, the former St. Josephs is still also a Catholic church, and there are several other catholic and former catholic churches in Haarlem. Today Haarlem has over 140 protected religious buildings, most of which have been converted for other uses.
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