Page 57 - Studio International - May June 1975

van Gogh Museum

Amsterdam, 1973

Architects: Gerrit Rietveld, van Dillen and van Tricht

Vincent van Gogh died in 1890 at the age seems that the wrong exhibit is on display. housing one finite collection and being
of 37, leaving behind a vast collection of Van Gogh's small paintings, expressive built on a pedestal, could easily have been
intensely personal observations and signs of his inner self, demand a more excluded from the everyday patterns
statements. Nobody seemed very sensitive treatment than merely being of Amsterdam's social and cultural life.
interested in these cries from deep within, dots in a dotted line. This doesn't But, thanks to the stimulating
apart from his brother Theo, and necessarily imply losing the welcome management and the extra facilities the
primarily through his care it was possible absence of psychological barriers nor building offers space for occasional
to leave together many of Vincent's introducing an undesirable glorification exhibitions, painting and craft studios,
letters, drawings and paintings — a rare of the painter's popular image. On the informal spaces for discussion, music and
family possession. contrary, Aldo van Eyck has shown in broadcasting events, it becomes a readily
Since the first world war Vincent's several instances how individuality and accessible meeting place with many
artistic work has gained increasing neutrality can be combined to arrive at an different creative activities bringing
popularity and, thanks to the eagerness of honest equilibrium. nearer to us the meaning of Vincent van
Theo's son, V. W. van Gogh, to keep the Altogether this misplaced monument, Gogh. •
collection together, the Dutch being a museum with an entrance fee Hubert-Jan Henket
government was able to purchase all the
works in 1962 on the provision that a
museum would be built around them.
However, the idea of a solitaire
building for the display of van Gogh's
work triggered intense discussion in the
country and the argument that it would
have been better to try to find a simple
solution more in keeping with the
integrity of this humble man, seems
right. Besides, if the collection had to to
be housed in an independent building
there was still no good reason, other than
tourist convenience, to situate the new
museum within shouting distance of three
already existing major cultural attractions.
It would have been better if the
Amsterdam authorities, who donated the
site, had designated a neighbourhood in
need of cultural stimulus, and such areas
are numerous.
Rietveld, master of small scale
phenomena, then 73, was appointed
architect in 1963. But ten months after he
had begun work, this deeply humane man
died, leaving behind indicative outlines
of what ten years later was to become the
van Gogh Museum. His partner, J. van
Dillen, took over but he died three years
later and the difficult task of finalizing the
design and getting the building finished
was given to J. van Tricht. The result of
their combined efforts, of creating an
environment in which the public goes
through the 'surrealist' experience of
seeing one man's life-long development
in a few hours flat, is bound to be a
complexity of both positive and negative
qualities.
Inspired by the Guggenheim
Museum and answering the client
requirement that the paintings should be 1 View from south
lit mainly by natural daylight from above, 2 Sections
Rietveld designed a main volume 3 View from north-east
centring around a downward reducing
lightwell, with smaller volumes radiating 4 Internal view across central space
outwards. This, combined with van
Tricht's clever use of open and closed
floors around the well, interesting
proportional relationships and simplicity
in the use of materials, culminates in a
beautifully relaxed and unpretentious
spaciousness.
Despite these qualities it somehow

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