Dome

Detail, south facade, set-back with side entrance; The villa was completed in 1934 by the architect J.F. van Teeffelen and was the first private residence in the Dijkzigt district (the previous estate of the Van Hoboken family, known as "Hoboken Land"). The villa is characterized by cubist volumes. It was built for the jeweler Peter Merkes, bachelor and art collector, though he died in 1932 before it was completed. With its monumental hall, it was more like an art temple than a house. It served as a natural history museum from 1934 to 1959. Two years later it was radically recast as a doctor's practice; a loggia at the front was closed off and the original brick facade was covered in white plaster to better match the neighboring villas. It is a municipal listed monument. The house has two floors with basement and rooftop terrace. The villa still has a large lot of 1,668 square meters with gardens, a pond, and parking. Source: Architectureguide.nl [website]; http://www.architectureguide.nl (accessed 8/16/2015)