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Architects: A.J.N. Boosten (1893-1951)
Alphons Jean Nicolas Boosten was born on January the 20th of 1893 in Maastricht as the son of a printer. As a young man he worked as a furniture-maker and took lessons in architectural drawing with architect W. Sprenger. From 1912 until 1917 Boosten was in military service, but he did attend a school for architecture in Amsterdam in this period. In 1920 Boosten founded a double architecture agency in Maastricht and Heerlen, together with Jos Ritzen, following an assignment for a church in Eygelshoven. In 1924 the partnership ended when Ritzen moved to Antwerpen, although until recently a successor firm existed under the name of Boosten, Rats & Ritzen (now Boosten Rats). Boosten's next major project is the big dome-church in Maastricht, in conjunction with Ritzen. Although the design was executed and praised among fellow architects, it was controversial in conservative catholic circles for being too untraditional. At the same time the church in Eygelshoven was the subject of much criticism as well. After these churches Boosten didn't get commissioned to build churches for the next eight years, and all assignments for churches after 1930 were for smaller parishes. Starting from that year Boosten developed a very individual and recognizable style, somewhere between Traditionalism and Expressionism and influenced by modern church architecture in nearby Germany and the Romanesque churches of the Maas valley in his province. In a time when this sort of individualism wasn't much appreciated by the catholic church, he managed to get several designs built, although with concessions. A team of artists from the region usually took care of the interior; painters and stained-glass artists Henri Jonas and Charles Eyk and sculptor Charles Vos. Apart from churches Boosten also designed many profane buildings, both in Expressionist and Functionalist styles. After World War Two, when numerous destroyed churches needed to be replaced by new ones, Boosten became the most successful church architect in his province, partly due to a more progressive attitude by the diocese. On January the 2nd of 1951 he died in hospital during an operation. Several of his designs were completed by other architects like his son Th. Boosten.

The following is a still incomplete listing of Boosten's work. The list is probably complete as far as the churches are concerned.

1921 Maastricht (L): house Lyonnetstraat 12

House in Expressionist style, designed in conjunction with J. Ritzen.
 

1921-1922 Kerkrade-Eygelshoven (L): church H. Johannes de Doper

 

 

Cruciform church designed in conjunction with J. Ritzen. Use of marl and other natural stone. First design made in 1919.
 

1921-1922 Maastricht (L): church Heilig-Hart

 

 

A large dome-church designed in conjunction with J. Ritzen, made out of concrete and covered with limestone and tuff on the outside. The original design included two towers which were never built. The baptistry was built in 1929, in 1953 the entrance and a chapel were added by Th. Boosten and J. Witteveen.

 

 

1921-1928 Margraten (L): transverse enlargement church St. Margarita

 

 

A new nave and choir are built square on the direction of the old nave. Of the originally medieval church only the tower, the choir and a few pieces of wall remain. Style similar to that of the church in Eygelshoven.
 

1922 Maastricht (L): St. Angela school and convent

School and convent in moderate Expressionist style.

1923 Maastricht (L): sacristy church St. Martinus

 

 

 

 

Building in moderate Expressionist style.

1923 Maastricht (L): extension monastery Broeders van Maastricht

Damaged by bombs in 1944. The facade was replaced by a new one in 1952, also designed by Boosten.
 

1924 Maastricht (L): house Franciscus Romanusweg 44

House in moderate Expressionist style.

1924 Nieuwenhagen (L): house Heigank 132

House and doctor's office.
 

1925 Maastricht (L): electricity buildings

U-shaped complex.

1925 Vaals (L): houses Lieve Vrouwestraat 2 & 10-12

Houses in moderate Expressionist style.

1925 Vaals (L): cigar-factory Peeters

No further details.
 

1926 Maastricht (L): house Aldenhofpark 36

No further details.

1927-1929 Brunssum (L): Langeberg-Venweg neighbourhood

New neighbourhood with 524 houses and 3 shops.

1927 Terwinselen (L): houses 'Thuis Best'

Houses for miners.
 

1928 Maastricht (L): houses St. Lambertuslaan 23-29

Mansions in Expressionist style.

1928 Maastricht (L): house and shop Wycker Brugstraat 13

Building of four storeys in functionalist style.

1928 Valkenburg (L): villa Bellwood

House in moderate Expressionist style.
 

1929-1930 Maastricht (L): houses Graaf van Waldeckstraat 18-22

Mansions in Expressionist style.
 

1929-1932 Bleijerheide (L): church H. Antonius van Padua

 

 

 

 

Boosten's first church in eight years. Cruciform church, entirely made of brick, in a style that was more or less prescribed by the commissioners.
 

1929-1931 Valkenburg-Broekhem (L): church St. Jozef

 

 

 

 

Cruciform three-aisled church of natural stone. Narrow side-aisles. Square tower with slender spire standing in the corner between nave and transept. Short semi-round choir.

 
 

1931 Valkenburg (L): St. Josefgesticht

No further details.
 

1931 Maastricht (L): Suringar nurseryschool

Building in Expressionist style.

1931 Voerendaal (L): villa Hogeweg 29

House in thatched roof in Expressionist style.
 

1932 Schiedam (ZH): Broederenklooster

Monastery with chapel. Demolished.

1932 Gulpen (L): chapel of a monastery

 

 

 

 

Chapel in Expressionist style with cylindrical tower at the side.
 

1933 Maastricht (L): teachers school Capucijnenstraat

Building in functionalist style. Use of natural stone.

1933 Maastricht (L): house Hertogsingel 43

House in moderate Expressionist style.

1935-1936 Maastricht (L): housing complex Boschpoort

Complex in moderate Expressionist style.
 

1935-1937 Groot Genhout (L): church St. Hubertus

 

 

 

 

Church with cylindrical tower and westwork-like front. Narrow windows, low transept.
 

1935-1937 Heerlen-Heksenberg (L): church St. Gerardus Majella

 

 

 

 

Church with westwork-like front with square tower. Choir with ambulatory.

1936 Maastricht (L): Damespensionaat Elisabeth Gruytershuis

Boarding-school for a convent.

1936-1937 Maastricht (L): extension teachers school Tongerseweg

Building in functionalist style.
 

1936-1937 Maastricht-Oud Caberg (L): enlargement church H. Hart van Jezus

 

 

New eastern part for J. Kayser's church of 1876-1877.

1937 Maastricht (L): St. Lydwinahuis

Hospital of the monastery Broeders van Maastricht. Building in functionalist style.
 

1937 Zwevegem, Belgium: church St. Amandus




Big three-aisled church, incorporating a medieval tower at its side. Built of yellow brick.

1938 Noorbeek (L): house Bovenstraat 28

house in moderate Expressionist style.
 

1939 Maastricht (L): extension school Stella Maris

Enlargement of an existing schoolbuilding by W.J. Sandhövel from 1928.
 

1939-1940 Dieteren (L): church St. Stephanus

 

Church in Traditionalist style, with robust tower. Badly damaged in WW2, restoration completed 1947. Spire added 1956.
 

1939-1940 Weert-Keent (L): church St. Joseph

 

Church in a combination of Traditionalist and neo-Romanesque styles and Boosten's Expressionist approach to architecture. Tall square tower at the front and two smaller cylindrical towers at the back, in the corners between a semi-circular apse and transepts with large circular windows.
 

1939 Bunnik (U): church St. Barbara

 

 

 

 

Basilical cruciform church with westwork-like front and short, massive looking tower.
 

1939-1940 Stein-Kerensheide (L): church St. Jozef

 

 

 

Cruciform church with round crossing-tower and freestanding cylindrical tower at the front.

1941-1942 Terwinselen (L): houses Dr. Poelsstraat 24-26

Two large famillyhouses.
 

1946 Tegelen (L): repairs open-air theatre

No further details.
 

1947-1948 Gronsveld (L): restoration church St. Martinus

Repairs of war damage. Details unknown.

1948-1953 Roermond (L): restoration cathedral St. Christoffel

Reparation of war damage. Details unknown.
 

1948-1955 Melderslo (L): church H. Oda

 

Boosten was commissioned to design a new church to replace a previous one, which was blown up by retreating German troops in November 1944. A first design from 1946 was rejected for being too large, and lacking a village look. The design from 1948 was accepted, and built in 1951-1952, after Boosten’s death. It’s a centralizing church in Traditionalist style, with an arrow-shaped floorplan and a circular tower-like choir.
 

1948-1949 Maasbracht (L): H. Gertrudis

 

 

Long and wide church in Traditionalist style, replacing a detroyed neo-Gothic church and incorporating a 14th-century tower.

1949 Geysteren (L): church St. Willibrordus

 

 

One-aisled church with round choir. A planned tower was not built.

1949-1951 St. Odiliënberg (L): restoration church St. Wiro

Reparation of war damage. Details unknown.
 

1949-1950 Baexem (L): church H. Johannes de Doper

 

 

 

Three-aisled church in Traditionalist style. Robust tower, built in 1958, standing next to the choir.
 

1950-1951 Nijmegen (G): chapel

Chapel for the religious order of the Friars of Maastricht. No further details.
 

1950-1954 Horst (L): church H. Lambertus

 

Three-aisled church with three towers, two of which are at the back of the building. The tallest of these (51 m.) is an open polygonal construction, while the other two are shorter and more conventional cylindrical towers, of which the one at the front is a baptistry. Finished after Boosten's death by Jean Huysmans.
 

1950-1953 Maastricht (L): church Onbevlekt Hart van Maria

 

 

Cruciform church in Traditionalist style with unfinished round tower at the back.
 
1950-1952 Grubbenvorst (L): church O.L. Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming

 

Three-aisled church. A wide, westwork-like tower is crowned by a tall spire. Next to the choir, which is a bit taller than the nave, is another shorter and cylindrical tower crowning a baptistry. Designed by Boosten shortly before his death. Construction was lead by his son Th. Boosten. The tower was built in 1955.


1950-1953 Sittard (L): church St. Gemma

 

 

Church with asymmetrical nave and high choir with two spires on top. Designed by Boosten shortly before his death.
 

1951-1952 Brunssum (L): church H. Familie

 

 

Three-aisled cruciform church. Built after Boosten's death.

1951-1952 Hoensbroek-Passart (L): church St. Jozef

 

 

Cruciform church in Traditionalist style. Built after Boosten's death.
 

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