Influences on Herman Hertzberger

Abstract

In the sixties, the journal Forum voor Architectuur en Daarmee Verbonden Kunsten becomes the media employed by the Dutch wing of Team 10 to lecture on and spread the new architectural theories developed after the dissolution of C.I.A.M. Aldo van Eyck and Jaap Bakema head the editorial board in between 1959 and 1967. The editorial approach gravitates towards the themes defended by these young architects in the last meetings of the International Congresses of Modern Architecture, accompanied by the analysis of works of architecture that, in the editorial board’s opinion, give a correct response to the epoch’s needs. Moreover, the permeability and cross-sectional nature of the content, bring the editors’ board closer to the European architectural, cultural and artistic avant-garde. Thus, it is appreciated that similar theoretical assumptions than the ones that gave support to the different revolts that happened in Paris, London and Amsterdam between 1966 and 1968 underlie in great part of the journal’s writings. Its content is aligned parallel to the revolutionary phenomenon, contributing tosome degree to it. Herman Hertzberger, a young architect who worked for years as a part of the editorial board, was highly influenced by the contents of the journal. His later dedication to education as professor atDelft University of Technology, and hisassociation with Dutch Structuralism as well, turn him a key figure to study, because of the determining role of Forum’s acquired knowledge in his future professional activity.The proposed study pretends, first, to accentuate the content of Forum voor Architectuur en Daarmee Verbonden journal where the approach to the avant-gardes is produced, reflecting on the impact it had on the imagery of Herman Hertzberger based on his diverse contributions to the journal. Furthermore, it is aimed to stress the role of the cross-sectional nature architectural magazines in the transmission and contribution to the cultural and artistic avant-garde in the Sixties.