DUTCH ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN IN THE MAKING

Dutch contribution to the 7th International Architecture Biennale of São Paulo, Brazil

How do architecture and design take on meaning in a world that has become uniform as a result of globalisation, standardisation and commercialisation? By embracing unmodern notions such as craftsmanship, tradition and context. These notions were the links between the work of spatial designer Frank Havermans, industrial designer Hella Jongerius, textile designer Claudy Jongstra, the architecture office Onix and fashion designer Alexander van Slobbe.

For years they have been working on an oeuvre, which shows a new attention to detail, context and the local, the rediscovery of forgotten handicraft techniques, and a fascination with ordinary materials and archetypes. Although an air of nostalgia clung to the projects, through the incorporation of state of the art technologies and an unmistakable Dutch conceptual approach they are clearly projects of that time. The result: buildings, installations, fabrics, clothing, and pieces of furniture that stimulate all the senses.