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The history and essence of functionalism TEXT: ELLA PUT | PHOTOS: SONNEVELD HOUSE
If houses could speak, Sonneveld House would have stories to tell. Once the house of the director of the famous Van Nelle factory and his family, it now offers a peek into the lives of an influential Dutch family in the 1930s, as well as the story of the beloved Dutch functionalist style.
The Van Nelle factory was an influential factory in Rotterdam in those days, making Albert Sonneveld one of the best known men in town. Now on the UNESCO World Heritage list, the Van Nelle factory, as well as the villa, attracts visitors from all over the world who come to admire the unique building style.
Sonneveld House is not like any average museum, known as one of the best preserved houses in the famous Dutch functionalist style. The luxurious villa was designed in 1933 by architecture firm Brinkman and Van der Vlugt, especially for the director of the Van Nelle factory, Albertus Sonneveld.
The influence of Rotterdam
42 | Issue 57 | September 2018
“People nowadays see Rotterdam’s skyline and think of the city as a modern and sophisticated place, but one forgets that building new innovative architecture has always been the essence of this city. It’s what makes it so special,” explains Hetty Berens, conservator of Sonneveld House.
“Even in the 1930s, when this villa was built, Rotterdam kept inspiring and innovating new ways of building.” After the city was heavily bombed during the early days of World War II, most of the new buildings went up in flames. Berens: “It’s a miracle that this house survived. Therefore, it’s special that we have something left from that time, such as Dutch functionalism at the Sonneveld House. It tells the story of an influential family, but also the history of Rotterdam. It really gives an idea of the way of living back then, and it demonstrates the incredible development the city has went through.”