The New Hague School (Dutch: Nieuwe Haagse School) is a Dutch architectural style of the interwar period, roughly 1915 to 1940, recognisable by crisp, blocky brick architecture with emphatically horizontal lines and widely overhanging roof edges. It emerged in The Hague and sits, in character, between the expressive Amsterdam School and the stark white functionalism of Het Nieuwe Bouwen.
Characteristics
- Cubic massing — the building is assembled from rectangular blocks that slide in and out of one another
- Horizontal emphasis — continuous bands above windows, bays and balconies
- Overhanging roofs and canopies — broad eaves that cast a strong shadow line
- Brick as the main material — quiet, flat wall surfaces in careful bond
- Leaded glass in geometric patterns — rectilinear, not floral
- Urban coherence — whole streets and blocks were designed as a single composition
The architects
The main names include Co Brandes, Jan Wils, Hendrik Wouda and Willem Marinus Dudok. Brandes and Wils published the magazine Levende Kunst between 1918 and 1921, which gave the style considerable attention. The influence of H. P. Berlage (brick as an honest material) and of the American Frank Lloyd Wright (horizontality, projecting roofs) is clearly visible.
Compared with related styles
| New Hague School | Amsterdam School | Het Nieuwe Bouwen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal language | Crisp, cubic | Flowing, expressive | Crisp, abstract |
| Material | Brick | Brick | Concrete, steel, glass |
| Roof | Flat or low, deep overhang | Often complex roofs | Flat, sharp edge |
| Ornament | Sparing, geometric | Rich sculptural work | None |
Maintenance points
The deep roof overhangs and concrete facade bands define the style — and are also its most vulnerable parts. Concrete deterioration in the bands and rot in the timber overhangs are common. Have these elements inspected periodically and repaired in their original profile; a flat, boxed-in roof edge changes the character of the building completely.
Related terms
- Amsterdam School
- Het Nieuwe Bouwen
- Brick
- Bay window
- Leaded glass
- Facade band
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