(b Rotterdam, 10 May 1864; d Voorburg, 21 June 1940). Dutch architect and teacher. After studying in the 1880s at the Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten in The Hague, he worked as an independent architect in Amsterdam from 1890. Shortage of commissions led him to concentrate initially on competition entries, in which he developed his drawing skills. Although he has been categorized as belonging to Art Nouveau, he challenged this style for relegating the architect to the position of designer. His architectural approach was based on what he called ‘the moulding of cubic masses’, for which he regarded brick as the most effective material. His first large commission was the American Hotel (1899–1902), Amsterdam, largely inspired in its decorative additions by Islamic architecture. The elaborate, projecting dormer windows, and minaret-like turret, embody his concept of moulding in brick. His competition design (1905–6; unexecuted) for the Vredesplein in The Hague made even greater use of Islamic motifs. In the same period he was also engaged in the organization of the architectural profession in the Netherlands. He took the initiative in founding an architectural cooperative representative body, which led to the establishment in 1908 of the Bond van Nederlandse Architecten, a pressure group for architects. As chairman of the architectural society Architectura et Amicitia, he also set up in 1908 the Voortgezet Hooger Bouwkunst Onderricht (‘continuing higher architectural instruction’), a training scheme that emphasized the artistic aspect of architecture.

• Kromhout, Willem
  • Netherlands, the, §II, 5: Architecture, c 1890–1945
  • assistants
    • Eesteren, Cornelis van
  • collaboration
    • Zijl, Lambertus
  • groups and movements
    • Opbouw, De
  • works
    • Amsterdam, §II, 4: History and urban development, 1813–1901