Het Nieuwe Bouwen (“the New Building”) is the Dutch version of architectural functionalism: a movement running roughly from 1920 to 1960 in which a building’s function determines its form and ornament is deliberately abandoned. Its slogan was “light, air and space” — healthy homes with large windows, replacing the dark, closed housing that came before.
Characteristics
- Flat roofs — no pitched roof, but a horizontal roof edge
- White or pale facades — rendered concrete or masonry without decoration
- Large glazed areas and ribbon windows — continuous bands of glass across the facade
- Frame construction — a concrete or steel skeleton, so the facade no longer carries load
- Free plan — because the facade is non-loadbearing, internal walls can go anywhere
- Exposed structure — columns, beams and stairs are shown rather than hidden
- Standardisation — repeatable dimensions and prefabricated components
Background
Het Nieuwe Bouwen grew from the same international movement as the Bauhaus in Germany and Le Corbusier’s work in France. In the Netherlands the architects organised themselves into the groups “de 8” (Amsterdam) and “Opbouw” (Rotterdam), setting themselves against the expressive, craft-based brick architecture of the Amsterdam School.
Well-known examples are the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam (Brinkman & Van der Vlugt, completed in 1931 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014) and the Zonnestraal Sanatorium in Hilversum by Jan Duiker.
Spotting it
- Is the roof flat, with a crisp projecting edge?
- Do the windows run as a horizontal band, even around the corner?
- Is there no ornament, moulding or decorative brickwork at all?
- Is the facade pale and does it read as a skin around a frame?
Three or four yes answers point strongly to this movement.
Watch out when renovating
Many buildings from this period have thin, uninsulated walls and steel windows with single glazing. Where the building is listed, the original facade rhythm and profiles usually have to be kept, so insulation goes on the inside. Always check consent requirements with the local authority before you start.
Related terms
- Functionalism
- Amsterdam School
- Ribbon window
- Flat roof
- Nieuwe Haagse School
- Frame construction
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