Brinkman And Van Der Vlugt: The Sonneveld House

Villa Sonneveld in Rotterdam is one of the supreme achievements of Nieuwe Bouwen (New Building), the Dutch branch of the International School of Modernism. The house was built in 1933 by the renowned architectural office of Brinkman and Van der Vlugt for Albertus Sonneveld, one of the three directors at the Van Nelle corporation, who chose to modernize not only the structure of his new home but also its contents--the furnishings, fabrics and household gadgets (in the shower, for example, water sprays from at least ten shower heads, and an electric bell was incorporated into the dining table for summoning the servant during meals). Consequently Villa Sonneveld is an unusually complete example of a house furnished entirely in accordance with the most modern standards of the 1930s, using mass-produced products. This volume celebrates Brinkman and Van der Vlugt�s Modernist gem.