Postwar Reconstruction of Dutch School Buildings
M. Driessen (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
A Broekhuizen – Mentor (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / A)
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Abstract
The design of school buildings in the Netherlands during the 1950s and 1960s played a crucial role in reflecting the social and democratic ideals of postwar reconstruction. Rooted in modernist architectural principles of simplicity, functionality, and adaptability, these schools were designed to support educational reform, social equality, and modernization. Notable examples, such as J.J.P. Oud’s Tweede Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum and J.J. Hornstra’s Haags Montessori Lyceum, demonstrate how architecture was used to create inclusive, community-oriented learning environments. Centralized communal spaces and specialized departments encouraged collaboration, accessibility, and personalized education. By integrating democratic values into their design, these schools functioned not only as places of learning but also as symbols of broader societal progress in the postwar Netherlands.