Aldo & Hannie van Eyck. Excess of Architecture: EWC 231 (Everything Without Content)

An essential survey of the Achitectural works of Aldo & Hannie van Eyck

Known as the father of Dutch modernism, Aldo van Eyck was instrumental in defining the landscape of postwar architecture. His designs foregrounded the importance of the lived experience of the inhabitants of each building, and these social concerns are clearly apparent in the choice of projects profiled in this book. Beginning with iconic works such as the public playgrounds of Amsterdam whose minimalist aesthetic style was designed to stimulate creative play, and which ultimately influenced generations of children across the world, this publication also showcases less-known later works. The boldly colourful ESTEC communal building, and the Court of Audit in The Hague with its undulating façade. 24 key works, which were developed in collaboration with his wife and partner Hannie van Eyck, are presented through full-bleed photographs, as well as site plans and elevations.

These include iconic works that made their name, such as the public playgrounds of Amsterdam,. and the municipal orphanage composed of multiple modules on one level. Their later work of the 1980s and 1990s, which includes the boldly colourful ESTEC communal building, and Court of Audit in The Hague.

Aldo and Hannie van Eyck met as students of architecture and later married. They collaborated on a large number of projects for the town planning department in Amsterdam, before establishing a joint practice, A+H van Eyck Architechten BV in 1983. Kersten Geers is an architect and co-founder of the award-winning OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen. Jelena Pancevac is an architect and researcher. Bas Princen is a photographer and artist, known particularly for his images of architecture.

Everything Without Content is a new series of publications made by Kersten Geers, Joris Kritis and Jelena Pancevac. The name combines the titles of the two publication series-and generally, theoretical ideas-that we have previously been working on: Architecture Without Content that recorded academic work at EPF Lausanne, and Everything at USI Mendrisio, where Kersten Geers was heading the teaching studios. The number stands for the first book made in 2023, that is 23 - 1.

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