Gerrit Rietveld1888 - 1964
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1888–1964) was a pioneering Dutch architect and designer whose work defined the aesthetics of early modernism. Initially trained as a cabinetmaker, Rietveld developed a fascination with pure form and construction, which led him to become one of the foremost figures of the De Stijl movement. His most celebrated creations, the Red and Blue Chair (1918) and the Rietveld Schröder House (1924), embody the movement’s radical simplicity, composed of geometric planes, orthogonal lines, and a disciplined palette of primary colours with black, white, and grey. In these works, Rietveld translated the abstract ideals of De Stijl into tangible, inhabitable space, bridging the gap between art and architecture.
Beyond his formal innovations, Rietveld believed deeply in the social potential of design. From the late 1920s, he became involved with the Congrès Internationaux d’Architecture Moderne (CIAM), engaging with issues of affordability, industrial production, and housing for a broader public. He was among the first architects to experiment with prefabricated concrete elements, exploring how standardisation could serve both economy and beauty. Though his early career was sustained by private commissions, the postwar period finally allowed him to realise his vision for democratic architecture through housing projects in Utrecht and Reeuwijk.
In 1951, Rietveld curated a major international exhibition on De Stijl, reigniting global interest in his work. The following decade brought numerous significant commissions, including the Dutch Pavilion for the Venice Biennale, the art academies of Amsterdam and Arnhem, and the press room for the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. To manage the growing scope of his practice, he established a partnership in 1961 with architects Van Dillen and Van Tricht.
Rietveld’s final project—a museum dedicated to Vincent van Gogh’s work—was completed posthumously by his colleagues following his death in 1964. By that time, his influence was widely acknowledged: he had received an honorary doctorate from Delft University of Technology and was honoured with retrospectives, including one at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht in 1958. Today, Gerrit Rietveld remains celebrated for his ability to unite artistic idealism with the practical and human dimensions of modern life.
