Alblasserdam
The Huis van Zessen is located in Alblasserdam, the birthplace of the famous urban planner Cornelis van Eesteren, who would make his name with the General Expansion Plan of Amsterdam. Alblasserdam and the building industry from which he emerged shaped the young Cornelis, both personally and professionally. His encounters with the great artistic talents of his time, including the artist Theo van Doesburg, contributed to his ideas and the visual vocabulary of modern architecture and urban planning.
Theo van Doesburg
Cornelis van Eesteren
“We speak of concrete and not abstract painting because nothing is more concrete, more realistic than a line, a color, a surface,” — Theo van Doesburg
Paris
Van Eesteren took the design drawings for the Huis van Zessen to Paris, where Theo van Doesburg determined the color scheme for the interior and exterior. The drawings were mailed back to Alblasserdam with instructions for the painter.
Schetsen van Cornelis van Eesteren voor het Huis van Zesse
Color
When the house was just finished, in November 1923, Van Eesteren already had photos of it, and in February 1924, he wrote that he loved the color and enjoyed it daily. The house was built by Van Eesteren’s father’s construction company at the time, commissioned by the widow of grocer Arie van Zessen, Burgerina van Zessen-Stout. The Huis van Zessen became one of the earliest examples of modern functionalist architecture: sleek volumes, covered by a flat roof, and enlivened with functional elements in primary colors.
House to museum
In 1990, Huis van Zessen was purchased by the Van Eesteren-Fluck & Van Lohuizen Foundation, which manages the estate of Van Eesteren and his partner Theodoor van Lohuizen (www.efl-stichting.nl), and subsequently restored by the architect Bertus Mulder and turned into a museum house.
3D-presentatie van het huis
Kleine voorbeeld toelichtingstekst voor de 3D-presentatie van het huis. Dit is voorbeeld tekst en kan worden aangepast of verwijderd naar wens.
Curious?
During a tour of the Huis van Zessen, you’ll experience firsthand where modern architecture first took shape. Step inside the story of Van Eesteren and Van Doesburg and be inspired. Book a tour and experience this unique house for yourself.
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