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Gerrit Rietveld: The Latest Architecture and News

“Building Ecosystems”: The Dutch Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale is Curated by Jan Jongert / Superuse Studios

Nieuwe Instituut has appointed Jan Jongert / Superuse Studios from Rotterdam as curator of the Dutch Pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. In response to Lesley Lokko’s overarching theme for this edition of the Biennale, “Laboratory of the Future,” the Dutch curatorial team aims to explore the complex systems that underpin the structures of our societies. The exhibition will be open from 20 May to 26 November 2023.

“Building Ecosystems”: The Dutch Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale is Curated by Jan Jongert / Superuse Studios - Image 1 of 4“Building Ecosystems”: The Dutch Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale is Curated by Jan Jongert / Superuse Studios - Image 2 of 4“Building Ecosystems”: The Dutch Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale is Curated by Jan Jongert / Superuse Studios - Image 3 of 4“Building Ecosystems”: The Dutch Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale is Curated by Jan Jongert / Superuse Studios - Image 4 of 4“Building Ecosystems”: The Dutch Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale is Curated by Jan Jongert / Superuse Studios - More Images

Why Are Architects So Obsessed With Piet Mondrian?

In the 1920s, Dutch-born artist Piet Mondrian began painting his iconic black grids populated with shifting planes of primary colors. By moving beyond references to the world around him, his simplified language of lines and rectangles known as Neo Plasticism explored the dynamics of movement through color and form alone. Though his red, yellow and blue color-blocked canvases were important elements of the De Stijl movement in the early 1900s, almost a century later Mondrian’s abstractions still inspire architects across the globe.

But, what is it about these spatial explorations that have captivated artists and designers for so long?

Diagrams of the Rietveld Schroder House Reveal its Graphic and Geometric Brilliance

As one of the most prominent examples of the De Stijl movement, the 1925 Rietveld Schroder House represents a radical moment in modern architecture. Categorized by refining components to their geometric forms and primary paint hues, characteristics of the movement are evident in the architect Gerrit Rietveld's approach to residential design. Located in Utrecht, the house experiments with modular elements such as collapsible walls that provide a transformable way of living that still influences design to this day.

Because of its significance, the Schroder House has been the subject of study for many architects, artists, and historians. Inspired by its revolutionary design, aspiring architect and visual artist Yun Frank Zhang created a series of analytical diagrams and an accompanying video in order to understand the functionality, dimensions, and programmatic elements of the house. Below is a sample of Zhang’s exploration.

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Video: Artist Animates 5 Iconic Modern Homes

Five of history's most iconic modern houses are re-created as illustrations in this two-minute video created by Matteo Muci. Set to the tune of cleverly timed, light-hearted music, the animation constructs the houses piece-by-piece on playful pastel backgrounds. The five homes featured in the short but sweet video are Le Courbusier's Villa Savoye, Gerrit Rietveld's Rietveld Schröder House, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House, Philip Johnson's Glass House and Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.

'Gerrit Rietveld – The Revolution of Space' Exhibition

'Gerrit Rietveld – The Revolution of Space' Exhibition - Featured Image
Red-Blue Chair, Gerrit Rietveld, 1918/1923 © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2012, Photo: Andreas Sutterlin

Taking place now until September 16, 2012, the Vitra Design Museum is exhibiting “Gerrit Rietveld – The Revolution of Space”. The Dutchman Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964) was one of the most important designers and architects of the 20th century. Today his work is primarily associated with his two most famous designs, which have become icons of modernism: the Red-Blue Chair (1918/1923) and the Rietveld-Schröder House (1924). But this exhibition shows that Rietveld’s oeuvre contains many more facets that deserve to be rediscovered. This is the first major retrospective on Gerrit Rietveld to be presented to the German-speaking public since 1996. Comprising around 320 objects – including furniture, models, paintings, photographs, films and approximately 100 original drawings and plans – it offers a comprehensive overview of the Dutch designer’s work. For more information on the exhibition, please visit here.

Gerrit Rietveld: Born June 24, 1888

Gerrit Rietveld: Born June 24, 1888 - Featured Image

Designed in 1924 in collaboration with the house owner Truus Schröder-Schräder, the Rietveld Schröder House continues to impress architects and interior designers with its innovative solutions to prominent design questions of its time (see our AD Classics about it).