The Delft School is a Dutch architectural movement that emerged around 1925 at the Technical University of Delft, under the leadership of Professor M.J. Granpré Molière. The movement defended traditional building art, craftsmanship and Catholic values against the rise of modernism. Between 1930 and 1955 the Delft School shaped much of the post-war reconstruction architecture in the Netherlands.
Garden village Vreewijk, Rotterdam (1916–1942) — early work
Garden village in Rotterdam south, co-designed by Granpré Molière:
- Low brick terraced houses with steep tile roofs
- Green streets and spacious gardens
- Symmetrical squares and intimate street profiles
- Modelled on the English garden city movement
Bergkerk, Amersfoort (1933) — H. van der Leek
Catholic church in characteristic form:
- Brick masses with steep gable roof
- Tall slender tower
- Plain interior in traditional timber construction
Town Hall Enschede (1933) — G. Friedhoff
Imposing town hall:
- Monumental brick façades
- Bell tower as a landmark
- Classical symmetry and clear axes
Post-war reconstruction Rotterdam (partly)
While the Lijnbaan itself is modernist, surrounding residential areas were built in traditional style:
- Terraced houses in familiar Dutch form
- Tile roofs instead of flat roofs
- Brick chimneys and painted shutters
Reconstruction farmhouses (1945–1955)
After the war, thousands of farmhouses were rebuilt according to traditional typology:
- Hall house farmhouse or regional models
- Robust brickwork
- Tile roofs with overhang
- Wooden shutters and green painted frames
Heilig Hart Church, Bussum (1949) — A.J. Kropholler
Pure expression of the Delft School:
- Massive brick volume
- Asymmetrical yet balanced composition
- Substantive reference to medieval church building
Provincial House Groningen (1917 / later extensions)
Traditional-looking government building:
- Strong brick façades
- Profiled cornices and crown mouldings
- Hipped roofs with dormers
Recurring features
- Brick as primary material
- Steep pitched roofs with red or grey tiles
- Symmetrical façades with traditional window arrangement
- Craft detailing in masonry and woodwork
- Human scale and recognisable form
Application
In restoration or new build in protected village centres, Delft School principles are often referenced. Contemporary architects such as Hans Kollhoff and Bedaux de Brouwer also draw on this tradition for traditionalist new build.
Related terms
- Delft School
- Post-war reconstruction
- Amsterdam School
- Traditionalism
- Modernism
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