Designed by Jacob Berend Bakema and his partner Jo van den Broek, the project transformed the city landscape following the destruction of the Second World War through a functionalist approach to modern design.
Education and Early Career
Born in Groningen in 1914, Bakema completed his studies at the Groningen Higher Technical College in 1936. Inspired by the Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht, he pursued further architectural training at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture under Mart Stam, graduating in 1941. His early professional years involved working at the Amsterdam Department of Public Works and the Rotterdam-based practice of Van Tijen and Maaskant, followed by a position at the Rotterdam Public Housing Agency.
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In 1948, Bakema joined the firm of Jo van den Broek. Following the death of Jan Brinkman in 1949, the office was reorganized and subsequently renamed Van den Broek en Bakema in 1951. The firm became a primary force in Dutch post-war reconstruction, designing large-scale housing projects and significant civic buildings. Their collaboration included the Bakema Tower for the 1957 Interbau project in Berlin and the iconic Lijnbaan shopping centre. Bakema continued to manage the firm after Van den Broek left in the early 1970s until his own death in 1981.
Institutional Influence and Teaching
Bakema held several academic roles throughout his career. He served as an extraordinary professor at Delft University of Technology starting in 1964 and taught at the Staatliche Hochschule in Hamburg from 1965. His pedagogical reach extended internationally through visiting professorships at Columbia University in New York and Cornell University in Ithaca. Additionally, he was an active member of the Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne and a core participant in the offshoot group Team 10.
Architectural Legacy
Beyond his housing developments, Bakema designed major institutional projects including the Faculty of Architecture and Auditorium at Delft University of Technology, the Marl civic centre in Germany, and the Terneuzen town hall. His work was subject to a major 2000 survey at the Netherlands Architecture Institute. Today, his legacy persists through his contributions to modernist theory and the continuing operations of his firm, now known as Broekbakema.
Fast facts
- Born: 1914, Groningen, Netherlands
- Died: 20 February 1981, Rotterdam
- Citizenship: Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Firm: Van den Broek en Bakema
- Academic Member: Accademia delle Arti del Disegno
- Key Role: Secretary of CIAM (1955)
- Significant Project: Lijnbaan shopping centre (1949-53)
Questions readers ask
What was Bakema's role in the post-war reconstruction?
He worked through his practice to design large-scale public housing and restore the urban fabric of Rotterdam following wartime damage.
Did Bakema teach architecture?
Yes, he was a professor at Delft University of Technology, the Staatliche Hochschule in Hamburg, and a visiting professor at Columbia and Cornell.
