DESIGNING SURINAME IR. PETER NAGEL My father was born in Suriname in 1951
Peter Jacobus Nagel studied Architecture at the
reunion on the island. For five years Nagel and
and lived there until 1969, when he left
University of Delft between 1938 and 1946.
his wife resided in Aruba, but when they learned
for university in the Netherlands. He used
During this period, he witnessed a razzia per-
Suriname was in desperate need of an archi-
to tell me how the Art Deco style architec-
formed by the German occupiers. The Germans
tect, they founded a new firm in Paramaribo.
ture from the Floridian beaches reminded
randomly selected 215 students during a lecture
They lived in Paramaribo until 1963 when they
him of the brilliant streamlined build-
that were sent to concentration camp Vught; the
returned to the Netherlands, but Nagel ac-
ings in Paramaribo. Soon I found out that
rest was allowed to leave. Nagel was in the latter
cepted Surinamese projects until 1969. His wife
most of these Surinamese buildings were
group and immediately went into hiding until
Marie compiled a book containing his life work
designed by one man, born in 1921 in the
the liberation in 1945. He graduated in 1946
after Peter Nagel died in 1997. All the images
Watergraafsmeer, Peter J. Nagel.
and traveled to Aruba to start an engineering
on these two pages originate from her collec-
firm with his brother Jan, leaving behind his
tion and give a stunning impression of Nagel’s
fiancée. They married straight away after their
architecture.
TEXT: LENNART ARPOTS
OGEM (1956)
Hollandsche Bank-Unie N.V. (1957)
My father recognized the architecture Peter Nagel introduced in Suriname
The design of the Hollandsche Bank-Unie might remind you of Dutch mod-
as 1930s styled, and that isn’t surprising. Nagel started studying Architec-
ernist architecture, mostly found in designs for expensive department stores
ture in Delft in the late 1930s until he was coarsely interrupted by the Ger-
from the 1950s. Nagel was a great admirer of Willem Marinus Dudok.
man occupation during World War II. Few construction projects were real-
Dudok designed many department stores in Dutch city centers, such as the
ized during the war. After graduating Nagel immediately left the country.
Bijenkorf in Rotterdam which was partially destroyed in World War II and
Therefore his vision became a snapshot in a time of pre-war architecture.
eventually demolished in the 1960s. Dudok was well-known for his artistic
From then on he was mainly influenced by tropical architecture in Aruba,
ability of carefully placing volumes to create striking compositions. Dudok’s
hence the reminiscence of southern Floridian architecture. Rounded corners
influence is clearly visible in many of Nagel’s designs. Nagel plastered most
and horizontal lines dominate the Art Deco district in Miami Beach, as well
of his buildings and used colorful natural stone for accents. In addition, he
as vertical blinds against direct sunlight. These elements can be spotted on
used traditional wooden siding on his design for the Hollandsche Bank-Unie
the prominent OGEM building that was completed in 1956.
to magnify the horizontality, in contrast to the vertical window bays.
40 | CHEPOS
DESIGNING SURINAME