Michel de Klerk

Michel de Klerk

Michel de Klerk (November 24, 1884, Amsterdam – November 24, 1923, Amsterdam) was a Dutch architect.

Born to a Jewish family,^[1] he was one of the founding architects of the movement Amsterdam School. Early in his career he worked for other architects, including Eduard Cuypers. For a while, he also employed the Indonesian-born Liem Bwan Tjie, who would later become his country's pioneering proponent of the Amsterdam School and modern architecture.^[2]

Of his many outstanding designs, very few have actually been built. One of his finest completed buildings is 'Het Schip' (The Ship) in the Amsterdam district of Spaarndammerbuurt.

Amsterdam West

Eigen Haard (Own Hearth), working-class Socialist housing, consisting of three groups of buildings:

• (1) Spaarndammerplantsoen, north side (1913–15)
• (2) Spaarndammerplantsoen, south side (1915–16)
• (3) Het Schip, Zaanstraat / Oostzaanstraat / Hembrugstraat (1917–20)

• 
  Situation plan: (3) (1) (2)

• 
  (1) Spaarndammer- plantsoen, north side
• 

• 
  (2) Spaarndammer- plantsoen, south side
• 
• 

• 
  (3) Het Schip
• 
  Zaanstraat
• 
  Oostzaanstraat
• 
  Hembrugstraat
• 
• 

Amsterdam South

De Dageraad (The Dawn), working-class Socialist housing by Michel de Klerk and Piet Kramer (1920–23). The architectural contribution by Michel de Klerk is shown in this article. See also Piet Kramer.

• 
  Situation plan
• 
  Thérèse Schwartzeplein (Henriette Ronnerplein)
• 
  Thérèse Schwartzeplein
• 
  Burg. Tellegenstraat, Kramer (m), de Klerk (r)
• 
  Facades with sloping lines by Michel de Klerk
• 
  Entrance

• 
  Vrijheidslaan, middle-class housing (1921–23)

References

1. Jewish Currents: "A Golden Age of Jewish Architects" by Abbott Gorin Spring 2015
2. Suryadinata, Leo (2012). Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume I & II. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 573–574. ISBN 9814345210.

• Suzanne S. Frank, Michel de Klerk 1884-1923 - An Architect of the Amsterdam School, UMI Research Press, Ann Arbor Mich. 1984
• Manfred Bock, Sigrid Johanisse & Vladimir Stissi, Michel de Klerk 1884-1923 - Architect and Artist of the Amsterdam School, NAI Publishers, Rotterdam 1997
• Wim de Wit, The Amsterdam School - Dutch Expressionist Architecture 1915-1930, Rotterdam 1983
• Maristella Casciato, The Amsterdam School, Rotterdam 1996
• Joseph Buch, A Century of Architecture in The Netherlands, NAI Publishers, Rotterdam 1995