Kraaijvanger

In 2015 it was exactly 75 years ago that Rotterdam was bombed. Already during the Second World War the city started its reconstruction. The devastated center got a new face thanks to the efforts of various architects.
The brothers Evert (1899-1978) and Herman (1903-1981) Kraaijvanger - the founders of our office - played an important role in the reconstruction with the realization of more than thirty buildings. Striking buildings such as De Doelen, Holbeinhuis, Stationspostkantoor, Vroom & Dreesmann, Peek & Cloppenburg and Jungerhans still mark the profile of the Rotterdam center.
Art and architecture historian Ida Jager was fascinated from the beginning by the building brothers and their world. She therefore wrote a book about them: 'Evert and Herman Kraaijvanger Architectural noblesse '. The result is a portrait of the architect duo, but also an atmospheric drawing of post-war Rotterdam.

Ida himself says: "This book is about how the world was blown away in one go, except for two brothers who were taken by the art of building architecture, and that is what Rotterdam is called" Exotic ": Rotterdam after May 14, 1940. "
Bob Witman wrote a review for De Volkskrant on 2 December: "The Kraaijvangers are less known as reconstruction architects than Hugh Maaskant (Groot Handelsgebouw) and Leen van der Vlugt (Van Nelle Factory), but nobody built as many as the Catholic brothers. center alone they put down thirty sturdy buildings, such as the shops of Vroom & Dreesman and Peek & Cloppenburg, the old Incasso Bank, the Holbein House, concert hall De Doelen and the former Station Post Office. "

Bart van Hoek also wrote a review on his website architecture.org: "'Herman and Evert Kraaijvanger - Architectural noblesse' is a handy and informative book.The book is illustrated with photographs from the past, from which, for example, the strongly altered urban planning context can be pick it up. "The book is for sale at various bookstores and can be ordered fromnai010 publishers.