Rene Braem was long considered the most important representative of modern architecture in Belgium, both for his often imposing achievements and because of his theory and his ideological stands. He attempted to adapt the concept of the Radiant City to Flemish soil and his own concepts of society, as a member of the CIAM and an admirer of Le Corbusier, who he trained under between 1936-37.

René Braem: Architecture

Strauven, Francis

The Pastoor van Ars Church, built in 1969 by the legendary Dutch Structuralist architect Aldo van Eyck (1918–99) in The Hague, is one of the few significant churches to emerge from the second half of the 20th century. This volume sheds light on the unique architectural and spatial qualities of the building. Although not a Catholic himself, Van Eyck made every effort to build an authentic and contemporary Catholic place of worship. To this end, he harked back to the original typology of the early Christian basilica, whose components he incorporated into new conceptions of space explored by the modernist avant-garde, in particular the dynamic geometries of Mondrian and Brancusi’s forms. Author Francis Strauven, who has previously written an extensive monograph on the Dutch architect, pays particular attention to the intensive design process, which he has reconstructed using more than 100 design sketches from the Van Eyck archive.

Aldo Van Eyck: Pastoor Van Ars Church, The Hague: A Timeless Sacral Space

Arts & Photography

Architecture

Walther Konig

Aldo van Eyck: the Shape of Relativity is the first monograph on an architect whose poetic vision has exerted a far-reaching influence on architectural thinking since the Second World War. It is the story of an eventful career and an intensive study of an oeuvre. Far from limiting itself to architecture, this book deals primarily with the architect's ideas. It traces the roots of his thinking to early childhood, throwing light on his early passion for poetry, in turn related to the classical thinking of his father the poet P.N.van Eyck. It recounts his discovery of the twentieth-century avant-garde and of archaic cultures while in Zurich and Paris. It develops his role in Cobra movement and in 'de 8 en Opbouw', in international CIAM, and the dissident Team 10, and further in architectural education in Amsterdam and Delft. The book pays considerable attention to the concept of relativity, which Van Eyck regards as the foundation of the culture of the twentieth century. And, of course, the book includes a detailed examination of his projects and buildings, ranging from the children's playgrounds of Amsterdam and the Municipal Orphanage, from the introverted Sonsbeek Pavilion to the exuberant Auditor's Office in The Hague. The English edition of this indispensable study of the most eminent postwar architect of the Netherlands will be published on the 80th birthday of Aldo van Eyck. The book contains more than 600 illustrations, of which 100 are in colour, a bibliography of writings by Aldo van Eyck, a selected bibliography of literature about Aldo van Eyck and a list of designs and completed works. Francis Strauven is professor at the Academy of Art and Science in Brussels. From 1971 to 1992, he was editor of the magazines Wonen TABK and Archis, in which he wrote articles on Art Nouveau, Functionalism and contemporary developments. His publications include Bouwen in België (1945-1970), L.H. de Koninck (1980), L' Architecture en Belgique 1970-1980 (1981), Renaat Braem (1983), Aldo van Eyck's Orphanage, a modern monument (1987) and Jos Bascourt, art nouveau in Antwerp (1993).

Aldo van Eyck: The Shape of Relativity

Aldo Van Eyck

Individual Artists

Architectura & Natura

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