growing a little too old...

universiteit van Amsterdam

Some of the university of Amsterdam buildings are being demolished. They were designed in the mid-sixties. The architect was Norbert J.J. Gawronski- a city council architect. The buildings were designed to fulfil a tight brief in their era, they must have been whole-heartedly modern when completed. There was a lovely neat box modernism about them, I liked the pattern of the curtain walling, there was a satisfying rhythm. Now they are being replaced for something of "this century" something more suitable and more contemporary.

This is beginning to become a little personal: this building style was modern for me, I grew up unsure if I truely liked this but I loved the idealism that surrounded architecture of this time. Yes there are far too many really bad examples of rectangular box, curtain-walled buildings around us however there are some good ones as well. Before too many are lost I would like to see them documented and ensure some remain. The sixties had style and it may still be neglected, let's recognise some of the good elements, be selective but remember not everything from this era is too old and too out of date!