1699. La Cité Universitaire de Paris. Collège néerlandais

Dear Rosa,

"Architecture is the art of defined spaces"
(Willem Marinus Dudok)

Best regards,
R

1672. Hilversum. School Schuttersweg

James,

A delicate, modern (but not too much) school by W.M. Dudok. Notice its "Wrightian" arched entrance with red and blue glazed bricks.

Best regards,
R

984. Restaurant Wildschut, Hilversum

Tito,

Ahora que te has ido te escribo para agradecerte todo
el cariño y la dedicación que me ofrecistes cuando era
niño. Nunca podré olvidar nuestros interminables paseos
por la ciudad para que tu fotografiaras con tu sempiterna
camara Voigtländer una y otra vez los mismos monumentos que tanto admirabas mientras yo te servía de infinitamente paciente modelo. Uno de nuestros lugares favoritos incluía una ria artificial donde podiamos alquilar un bote a remos que tu pilotabas mientras me seguías hablando de tu mundo. Mi niñez estuvo pues inspirada por tus historias llenas por igual de crudo realismo y completa fantasía, que a mis ojos infantiles les parecía misteriosamente indistinguibles.

Un beso muy fuerte de tu sobrino preferido.
Abraza a los abuelos de mi parte.
R

875. Gedenkteeken op den afsluitdijk

Dear Herman,

"Architecture, besides being an enthralling 
play of spatial relationships and tensions, 
should also contain a sublimation of 
substance in form" (W.M. Dudok)

Respectfully
R

342. School ala Merelstraat. Hilversum

Dear Christy,

Nassau School in Hilversum, built1928 by W.M. Dudok,
was one of the building that he designed when appointed
as City Architect. Incidentally it is not included on Dudok's
Architectural Route on-line brochure, but I assure you it
deserves a visit.

Cheers.
R

286. Amsterdam. Erasmushuis

Dear Herman,

Influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright,
Dudok’s mature style is often referred
to as Cubistic Expressionism because
of his tendency to emphasize
horizontal and vertical elements.

Regards
R

91. Hilversum-Raadhuis

Dear Enric,

W.M.Dudok reinterpreted in this building the playful and
efective intersection of built volumes so typical in the
architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. The alternative use
of horizontal and vertical lines and narrow and broad
spaces gives the complex a strong design concept that
makes the Town Hall a real urban icon. The vertical line
of the tower works as a visual pivot counterbalanced by
the others horizontal architectural elements.

Best regards.
R

22. De Bijenkorf, Rotterdam, Het modernste warenhuis van Europa

Jan,

According to architect Dudok this building worked as
an impressive advertisement on the basis of its size alone.
Finished in 1930 it was badly damaged during the
bombardment of Rotterdam of 1940 and finally
demolished in 1947.


All the best.
R