Functionalism and modernism
Modernism in architecture flourished between 1945 and 1970. In Zoetermeer, modernist buildings are mainly found in the village. The architecture from that time is quiet, sober and light.
Light, air and space
Modernism broke radically with all traditions in building. 'Light, air and space' became the motto in architecture and urban development. A comfortable, modern home in a healthy, green and open city had to be accessible to everyone. With modern building techniques and materials (concrete, steel) it was possible to build on an industrial scale and put an end to the housing shortage. Living, working and recreation were separated and buildings were placed in collective open spaces, with shared entrances such as porches.
The architecture from this period is neat, quiet and sober. Buildings consist mainly of rectangular blocks, covered with a flat or slightly sloping roof. The blocks are one whole.
Apartment blocks often have a symmetrical facade structure. Offices and churches are often asymmetrical with alternating parts. In apartment blocks and single-family homes you often find facades where the same rectangular elements are repeated, with windows and balconies in a strict rhythm. The apartment blocks are light and transparent because they have strikingly large windows, with thin frames and often light facade colours. It is typical of the architecture of an optimistic period.
The small-scale movement of the early 1970s put an end to modernism in housing. Offices were still built according to modernist principles until the mid-1980s.
Examples
