Background information:
This type of warehouse has existed next to Gilze Rijen station, in North Brabant. It was built around 1920 and was demolished around 1980. This warehouse was used as a collection point for goods from Rijen and the surrounding area. The main task was about loading goods from the train on horse and carriage, (later truck) and vice versa. Storing goods was only a secondary task. That explains the form in which there is a lot of space for vehicles on the long sides of the building, but relatively little space for storing products. Rijen was the location of several tanneries at the time. Leather and semi-finished products from leather were the most frequent loaded.
Architectural details:
The shed is characterized by the long and narrow shape of the building volume. Above the sliding doors, 5 of which were situated on the platform side, were dormer windows that were there to provide the necessary additional light. The shed has a low platform height on both sides. This was customary around 1920, but nowadays we see that the floor height of sheds and platform heights are better aligned with the height of the loading space of vehicles. Better coordination also speeds up the loading and unloading process. At the western end there was a separate office for the loading master. The office was only accessible from the inside, but it did have a window with shutters and its own skylight and the only fireplace present.
