Herman Hertzberger was born in Amsterdam in 1932. In 1958, after completing his studies at the Technical University in Delft, he returned to Amsterdam to set up a private practice. From 1965 to 1970, he taught at the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam and since 1970 has been a professor at the Technical University in Delft.

"An influential theorist, as well as an innovative designer, Hertzberger is a leading exponent of Structuralism in the Netherlands, editing the journal Forum from 1959-63, a magazine that helped to crystallize the tenets of the emerging Structuralist movement."

Hertzberger adheres to a Structuralist philosophy of "spatial possibility" in which architecture is used to provide a spatial framework through which users influence a building's design. Hertzberger has successfully applied this socially inspired theory to a range of different building types, including housing, schools and offices.

Dennis Sharp. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Architects and Architecture. New York: Quatro Publishing, 1991. ISBN 0-8230-2539-X. NA 40 I45. p 75.

 

Central Beheer
Architect Herman Hertzberger
Location Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
Date 1967 to 1972

Notes Fine-grained informal people-places through-out interior. Fine use of coarse materials.

Central Beheer Commentary

"The idea...is that of a building as a sort of settlement, consisting of a larger number of equal spatial units, like so many islands strung together. These spatial units constitute the basic building blocks; they are comparatively small and can accommodate the different programme components (or 'functions'), because their dimensions as well as their form and spatial organization are geared to that purpose. They are therefore polyvalent...

The basic requirements of an office building may well be simple enough in principle, but it was this need for adaptability that led to the complexity of the commission. Constant changes occur within the organization, thereby requiring frequent adjustments to the size of the different departments. The building must be capable of accommodating these internal forces, while the building as a whole must continue to function in every respect and at all times."

-Arnulf Lüchinger. Herman Hertzberger Buildings and Projects. p87.

Resources
Muriel Emanuel, ed. Contemporary Architects. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1980.
Arnulf Lüchinger, ed. Herman Hertzberger: Buildings and Projects. The Hague: Arch-Edition, 1987. ISBN90-71890-01-5. NA1153.H47A4 1987. p87-145.