The Justus van Effen housing block in Spangen, completed in 1922, introduced the innovative concept of elevated pedestrian walkways known as bovenstraten. Designed by Michiel Brinkman, this complex transformed the approach to urban social housing in the Netherlands by integrating industrial logistics with residential living, creating a structural model that influenced architects for decades.
Early Career and Training
Born in Rotterdam on 16 December 1873 to Hermanus Antonie Brinkman and Anna Maria Juijn, Michiel Brinkman studied at the Academie van Beeldende Kunsten en Technische Wetenschappen under Henri Evers. His professional development continued within the office of Barend Hooijkaas Jr., where he gained foundational experience before launching his independent practice in 1910. Prior to this, he collaborated with Hooijkaas on the Koninklijke Roei- en Zeilvereeniging De Maas in Veerhaven, a project constructed between 1908 and 1909 that is now recognized as a Rijksmonument.
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Take the IQ test →The Justus van Effen Complex
In 1919, Brinkman designed a social housing project comprising 273 units in the Spangen district. The structure consists of a large perimeter block encircling a central courtyard, which houses a service building featuring baths, a central heating plant, and a cycle shelter. Brinkman utilized reinforced concrete to form floor decks and employed precast balconies. The design incorporated a three-meter-wide raised walkway on the third floor, providing direct access to maisonettes and facilitating delivery routes for tradespeople using trolleys. This architectural feature served to minimize the number of stair towers required, balancing the density of urban living with the atmosphere of a garden village.
Technical Innovation and Functionality
Brinkman’s background in industrial architecture informed his systemic approach to residential design. He treated housing as an integrated flow of goods and waste, incorporating features such as a rubbish chute and the first central heating system used in Dutch social housing. Window sizes were determined by room function, with larger panes for lounges and recessed, smaller ones for bedrooms. Following his death in 1925, his legacy continued through the practice of Brinkman & Van der Vlugt, which produced projects such as the Van Nelle factory, the Feyenoord football stadium, and the standard Dutch telephone box.
Fast facts
- Born: 1873, Rotterdam
- Died: 1925, Rotterdam
- Citizenship: Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Notable Works: Justus van Effen Block, Koninklijke Roei- en Zeilvereeniging De Maas
- Education: Academie van Beeldende Kunsten en Technische Wetenschappen
- Key Innovation: Bovenstraten (Streets in the sky)
- Professional Partners: Barend Hooijkaas Jr., L.C. van der Vlugt
Questions readers ask
What are bovenstraten?
Known in English as 'streets in the sky,' these are three-meter-wide elevated access terraces located at the third-story level of the Justus van Effen complex.
What was the significance of the Justus van Effen complex restoration?
Completed in 2012, the restoration team, including Molenaar & Co., Hebly Theunissen, and Michael van Gessel, won the 2016 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize.
