Bespreking van de boeken van:

Arjan den Boer, Bettina van Santen en Ronald Willemsen - Utrecht bouwt 1945-1975.

Judith van Hoogdalem en Botine Koopmans - Post 65 – een turbulente tijd; Architectuur en stedenbouw in Den Haag 1965-1995.

Marcel Barzilay, Ruben Ferwerda en Anita Blom - Experimentele woningbouw in Nederland 1968-1980; 64 gerealiseerde woonbeloften. ... Read more

Met het vertrek van rijksbouwmeester Floris Alkemade komt een einde aan een aantal van zijn zogenoemde Ambassadeursprojecten. Deze voorbeeldprojecten van het Rijksvastgoedbedrijf hebben tijdens de zittingsperiode van Alkemade speciale aandacht gekregen. Ze houden verband met de ruimtelijke kwaliteit van gebouwen, stad en landschap, met bijzondere aandacht voor natuur en de sociaal-maatschappelijke en culturele context. Eén project betreft de evaluatie en mogelijk actualisering van het programma Inspirerende Bouwkunst, dat twintig jaar geleden in gang is gezet door Alkemades voorganger Jo Coenen.... ... Read more

Ruim veertig jaar geleden, in 1978, werd een nummer van het Bulletin knob gewijd aan de problematiek van de architectuurrestauratie. De bijdragen weerspiegelen de standpunten van de auteurs over restauratiefilosofie en -theorie en het is opvallend dat het begrip authenticiteit toen al centraal stond in het debat. Gekoppeld aan een ander begrip, de echtheidswaarde, passeren ‘materiële echtheid van de historische substantie’, ‘authenticiteit van vorm’, ‘afwerking’, maar ook ‘proportie’, ‘lichtval’ en zelfs al ‘een stuk authentieke sfeer’ de revue.

Over forty years ago, in 1978, an entire edition of Bulletin knob was devoted to the subject of architectural restoration. The articles reflected the authors’ views on the philosophy and theory of restoration, and it is interesting to see that even then the concept of authenticity figured prominently in the debate. Linked to the related concept of ‘authenticity value’, terms such as ‘material genuineness of the historical substance’, ‘authenticity of form’, ‘finishing’, as well as ‘proportion’, ‘use of light’ and even ‘authentic atmosphere’ passed in review. ... Read more

Rietveld Schröder House is one of the most representative work of the Dutch De Stijl movement. The house represents Mrs Schröder’s pursuit of a modern, open lifestyle. Moreover, it is also the first batch of restored modern architectural heritage, which is a milestone for Dutch and even worldwide architectural protection. Bertus Mulder is the leading architect responsible for the restoration. This article puts him in the context of the development of modern Dutch architectural protection theory and examines his guiding ideology, choices, results, and omissions, as well as the role of the Schröder family. Mulder focused on the restoration of the initial abstract space of the restored home, and this resulted in a drastic repair of the color and materials, as well as the removal of the household life history. A comprehensive reflection on his work will be helpful for future restoration of modernist architectural heritage. ... Read more

Several of the contributions to this issue on authenticity conclude by asking whether the concept of authenticity is a credible criterion. According to UNESO’s Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, a monument designated as world heritage possesses ‘Outstanding Universal Values’ (ouv). It also meets the conditions of integrity and authenticity, at any rate when it comes to cultural heritage. In accordance with The Nara Document on Authenticity (1994), and taking account of global cultural diversity, authenticity can be based on a wide variety of attributes.Two Dutch World Heritage monuments, the Rietveld Schröder House (1924) and the Van Nelle Factory (1925-1931), belong to the architecture of the Modern Movement. In the nomination dossiers for these two heritage buildings authenticity was substantiated in different ways. But in both cases, as has become customary for Modern Movement monuments, ‘design authenticity’ was deemed of great importance. Has the concept of authenticity been expanded to such an extent that it has ended up being applied arbitrarily? In this author’s view, authenticity can most certainly be a criterion of quality, provided a clear and credible definition is employed within the specific cultural context. ... Read more

The Schröder House, designed in 1924 by Gerrit Th. Rietveld (1888-1964) in close collaboration with the client Truus Schröder-Schräder (1889-1985), has been photographed countless times.1 Most of the photographs of this well-known monument are architectural photographs, of its exterior or interior. Only a few of them include one or both of the designers. One such photograph, from 1926, appears in many publications concerning Rietveld or the Schröder House. It is an intriguing shot; but what exactly does it tell us? ... Read more

The Rietveld Schröder House (1924) in Utrecht is the only private home among the ten UNE SCO World Heritage sites in the Netherlands. In 1987 it was opened to the public as a museum house and since 2013 it has been part of the collection of Utrecht's Centraal Museum. The world-famous house was designed by the architect Gerrit T. Rietveld (1888-1964) in close collaboration with the client, Truus Schröder-Schräder (1889-1985). During the 1970s and '80s the house was comprehensively restored by the architect Bertus Mulder (b. 1929), who had worked with Rietveld for a brief period in the early 1960s. Thanks to a Keeping it Modern Grant from the Getty Foundation these restorations have now been put on a sound scientific footing by means of archival research, technical analysis and oral history. ... Read more

The Rietveld Schröder House (1924) in Utrecht is the only private home among the ten UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Netherlands. In 1987 it was opened to the public as a museum house and since 2013 it has been part of the collection of Utrecht’s Centraal Museum. The world-famous house was designed by the architect Gerrit T. Rietveld (1888-1964) in close collaboration with the client, Truus Schröder-Schräder (1889-1985). During the 1970s and ’80s the house was comprehensively restored by the architect Bertus Mulder (b. 1929), who had worked with Rietveld for a brief period in the early 1960s. Thanks to a Keeping it Modern Grant from the Getty Foundation these restorations have now been put on a sound scientific footing by means of archival research, technical analysis and oral history ... Read more

Sanjo Street, the old road to Tokyo, is a lively street in the middle of Meirin District in the heart of Kyoto. People live, work, shop and stroll there. The street, like all others in the district, is made up of houses and shops, restaurants, workshops and kinds of activity. The neighbourhood is well known for the many kimono fabrics, but there is even a bike shop – a familiar phenomenon for the Dutch [FIG. 1]. Building types vary. Where Sanjo Street connects up with the large avenues surrounding the urban block, there are large, tall buildings, with the occasional higher block of flats at the centre. However, low-build prevails. Meirin
District is part of what is called the historical urban area, and contains buildings from various periods, from the 17th through to the 20th century, including many machiya. ... Read more

The collaboration between KIT and TU Delft started out with the central theme of machiya, a traditional type of wooden townhouse, known in Kyoto as kyomachiya. Rather than Kyoto’s pre-eminent monuments like shrines, temples or one of the 17 world heritage sites, the vernacular architecture of the kyomachia seemed to be the ideal study subject, addressing conservation issues and the need for adaptation to both contemporary demands and new uses. With over 40,000 machiya still in existence, this building type is very characteristic of the cultural landscape of Kyoto. Machiya, built on narrow parcels and recognizable by their closed street facades (omoté), originally combined a residential function with a commercial one. ... Read more