that the problem has been on the contrary» The work for architects In Holland is very limited and for thejÉ I time being,there is no clear sign of Improvement,but I think there re are no essential differencies in the building in Holland and other countries in Europe destroyed by the war. Much work based on research on living is done on parceling out, i j traffic problems and recreation. flmong others,one form of construction of a district,which is of present interest is an unit to the need of the district,inclMing all kinds of houses in the right proportions. A succession of such a unit.Interchanged by schools and other buildings of common use,results in an lively architecture with form and great equality without whimsicallities of forced solutions/ t"* ®ifficulties by the erection in series,because similar houses are scattered between other typee in too small blocks. I take it for granted that all the achievements are published in the professional papers;I only will give you some idea of special dutch relations about architecturial styles# In the Netherlands(this is Holanda) we are bound to very old and strong traditions. In the ninetheenth century,through the invention and applicatian of the machine and for instance the photogjfrafy,there was as every were else,a confusion of styles. It was our great leading architect Berlage who has made the first stepS in the direction^style recovery/lfcfe taught°good social possi billities of the machines the new toolsjhowever it was quit % impossible for him in such a short time of his acknowledgement to bring the industrial design,which we are searching and producing
today,still hesistatingly. Although based on byzantine,romanic and other former styles,Berlage brought us a new elementary style, To a large extent the architects in Holland,among whom Professor Granpré'Moliere and his pupils of the technical academy in Delft are inspired by the examples,which Berlage was partly forced to take from history. On accoÈnt of the fact that directly after the war the minister of rebuilding was bound to take advise from the most admitted representative architects,most supervisors for rebuilding were engenieers from Delft. Examples of the results are among other town rebuilding{Middelburg and Rhenen, A second group of architects saw in the examples of Berlage great social value,they develloped his views aid became convineed that the elements of arahifcacis architecture had to be found in the needs of mankind and so they came to objectivety and functionalisme',among these are the architects v.d.Vlucht,Duiker,Merkelbach,v.d.Broek emd. ,v,TyenMaaskan®9Bakema^all ciam members. Before the war their periodical was:" De 8 en de Opbouw"born and bred by "De styl"^apüre liberal art movement. -The initiators were Mondrian,v.Doesburg ,Oud,Wils,Hussar etc. Oud always had his own positie* among them. Van Ravesteyn,Dudok en Schelling also have some relationship but they have the£r own etrltivation^ dfoeltif^ A third group is the one around the periodicali"Forum",among others the architects Boeken,Staal,Komter,they use the results of the functional architecture,but temper the consequences with flexible forms,which are still living in their memory and partly still
-4- excisting ln the manor houses on the Amsterdam Canals. This is in short the situation of architecture in our little Holland. As you see,very limited,which is also caused by the dividing in three groups each one convinced of the rightness of their own point of view. Of course this can have a merit too. The merit of variety. jCd^V Most of the houses areTfiuilt by builders without conviction. I think in every country are alike situations and should there be any dlfferences,these are not of very great fcmportance and I am convinced,that what I have said is not jjftfew to you. One thing more I like to eonsider with you is,as we all kHow that the objective and functional^ came into existenee and are develloped from the expiriments of the abstract arts. As in Holland form the styl groupjèjin Germany,the Bauhausj and the work of many accElrickKEtx ahstrafct artist in many countries,painters sculpters and ar-chitects. How cah we explaln that a pure free art movement as The Styl in Holland and the same in other countries and movements of abstract art could produce:first the objective arehiteeture,the so called Neue Sachlichkeit in Germany,and later the functional architecture,which is growing out to thepindustrial design of to day. We have to point out,that The Styl In Holland did not have an aestetic foundation,but based on research into the meaning and elements of arts.But whdt if the value of art in a time of social renewal. AtjK the same time the Bauhaus in Germany,1e Corbusier in France, Lissituski in Russia were lookinfc for the form elements of our time. Why ? in a time socially and economically of such interest and importance. Why.this in a time full of premist and desire\seienee and technic 1 jozidji jggytj fcjUUo WwnnA Ku q^ O^AA*™* ) promissing us a paradise^Étll over the world. If we could onlv use all the nossibilities of the machine*
pr | _ • the machinery the right way. SffejcxtkiKxiHXHxtiiaHxfHïï Why does a time of havlng so many soclal problems linger about arts9abst$ract arts which seem to have nothlng to do with all the problems of our time.'? Because in that time,about 30 years ago we knew wittingly or un-wittingly that only by a complete and perfect knowledge of the needs and desires of mankind It would be possible to handle the new possiblllties jhfl bless and real happiness. (£) Hu «mctTCot The creators of that abstract art must have been consiously sensible of the fact that an analize of the afcts is also ananlize of our po"/er of observation and our power of observation is the conditlon to the expension of the universaMty to be able for the adventures of the brave new world. Our image of the universe must be develloped and we must have the senseë to see,to hear9to taste the new flavor. The secret value of ths abstract art is based on the disposition of our consiousness. There is a line of devellopment in the way to knowledge of matter and mind, tfutf^by the so called dead aaterial, fy W^dirrérence of warmth - then there is impression - influence -(this is allmostjJifeJ - sensibility - observation - connection of observations - memory - suggestion - notion - intelligence -combination of ideas - knowledge. These are not points of a rising line,but it is an analize of consiousness and a succesiion of what happened in pacf body and mind on the way to understanding. The beginning of knowledge is observation. If the observation is clear./'yxju have a ehaage ,-ef clear knowledge and without new observations^our mind is working on always more complicated details.
The secret value of the abstract arts is that they are showing us the elements of the observation,to hear;to smell,to taste,to see and then different kinds of seing,space - form andjpolour Our sensibility of space can be divided in the impressions in the inside,the outside and between. Our sensibility of form can be divided in round,square and triangular „ « n Coiour " " " " red,blue and yellow,to work with the indivisible elements was^the^ beginning.„Qt the. abstract^ arfcs TWv^rjTglaT^o see that" af ter 30 years and being almost forgotten many architects all over the world and also in Meiico are drawing from JSSm well Ind^» ia with/Tsense of shame that I must say ___———-om H> _ to you that mftch of the Netherlands architects must have a\dead end. However this only my personal opinion and not of course the opinièn of the majority of the Netherlands architects. I hope that the styl exibition in Amsterdam last year,and the same in the museum of modern art in New York at the end of this year may have its results. /