Thomas Aquinas Church (formerly)

On the corner of Lek and Rijnstraat stood a church, the Thomas Aquinas Church, which dated back to 1925. It may not have been as enchantingly beautiful as the seventeenth-century city, but it was still a highlight in the history of urban planning and architecture. The architectural image of the riverside neighborhood was calm, full of harmony, and dignified. The Thomas Aquinas Church was not a masterpiece, but the building blended in a civilized manner with its surroundings. It was unobtrusive, it made no noise, it was not tattooed, it had no navel piercing, and it also did not testify to senseless wealth. Even many born-and-bred Amsterdammers probably do not know exactly which church was meant, yet everyone, including millions of provincials, recognized the tower of this church. Anyone driving out of the city via the Utrechtsebrug or, conversely, driving into the city passed by this tower. The city gates, with one exception, disappeared long ago, namely when our great-grandparents were young and dynamic; the Utrechtsebrug itself is invisible to the motorist, a beautiful bridge, by the way, made of prestressed concrete, and the beginning of Rijnstraat is heartwarming but not imposing. Then the tower of the Thomas Aquinas Church came into view. Indeed, that’s where the city begins. We have safely returned home again, or we are heading into the wide world. A more beautiful marker of a street corner was hardly imaginable. The tower rose up from the building block, like a brick sentinel watching over Amsterdam. The Thomas Aquinas Church was demolished to make way for apartments.

Jos WRSM