Robert Van 't Hoff: Architect of a New Society

A principal member of the De Stijl group, the Dutch architect and theorist Robert van 't Hoff (1887-1979) designed buildings, composed essays and provided financial support for the movement, making him an animating presence in the Dutch avant garde. Van 't Hoff's view of the architect's role exemplified the movement's utopian ideals, and his hands-on approach meant that during the construction of his renowned Villa Henny, for example, the architect was often to be seen on the scaffolding alongside the manual workers (an unusual sight at the time). Villa Henny was one of the earliest houses to be built out of reinforced concrete, and one of the first buildings in Europe to utilize the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright; today it is an icon of modernist architecture and a forerunner of the Nieuwe Bouwen movement. This first monograph on van 't Hoff gathers his critical writings alongside unpublished materials and descriptions of his best known projects.