t van den Berg, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
tesy of Bar
Cour
Above The water basin with artificial waves and the lighthouse in the background suggested a
miniature sea. The mooring post is a true-to-life version of the logo of the Dutch pavilion by graphic
artist and designer Jan Bons.
miniature sea complete with waves, while the lower, representing of Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands, for example, are among
a polder (reclaimed land lying below sea level), was protected the most popular and successful at the fair, whether measured by
from inundation by an earth berm, or dike, topped by a light- public acclaim or artistic merits.” Progressive Architecture maga-
house. The dike was home to Vania, a little goat that attracted zine ranked the Dutch pavilion, together with the pavilions of the
millions of visitors and appeared in many obligatory photographs United States and Italy, as the three most successful expressions
alongside the visiting elite. of architectural intellect.
The entrance pavilion, in brick and concrete with impressive Rietveld was more involved with the interior design of the
abstract glass-in-concrete windows by Daan Wildschut, led to Dutch pavilion than with its architecture. He created the Modern
three rectangular exhibition halls containing the pavilion of the Living section together with one of his sons, architect Jan Rietveld.
Kingdom of the Netherlands and pavilions showcasing important The original plan called for three model apartments: for a young
Dutch industries. A separate hall contained exhibitions on forms couple with two children, a bachelor and an elderly professor.
of transport by land, air and sea. Its major attraction was the par- The idea proved too ambitious for the ever-decreasing budget,
tial reconstruction of a Holland America Line ship with cargo deck however, and only the first apartment was realized. Named the
and passenger deck, whose popular deck chairs were always “Ideal Apartment,” it measured 30 by 30 feet and was designed
occupied. The organic forms of the agrarian pavilion bordered for a family with one child. A built-in terrace and a polyester “wet
the site’s southern perimeter. Here, the Dutch farmer Jelmer van area” unit (conceived to be mass-produced), containing the bath-
der Ley and his wife took care of cows, pigs, sheep and chickens. room and a kitchenette, were progressive features. There were
Surprisingly, for an event celebrating the atomic age, the Dutch no interior walls; rather, a living area and two sleeping areas
farm stock was one of the fair’s most popular sights. The central were separated by low cabinets.
dome housed a hydraulic engineering installation, including a Color played an important role in enlivening and organizing
device that measured the impact of breaking waves on a basalt the space. In the tufted wool carpet, alternating bands of light
dike. One half of the dome’s 13,000- square-foot ceiling was and dark red contrasted at right angles to bands of light and dark
covered with a photographic print by photographer Carel Blazer bluish-grey. The red sections delineated the living area and the
showing the 1956 construction of a dike for the reclamation of parental sleeping area, while the bluish-grey sections defined
the South Sea, while the other half carried a mural by the painter the dining area and the children’s sleeping area. This patterning
Karel Appel depicting the North Sea flood of 1953, which killed extended to the walls, with a washable vinyl wallpaper (Suwide)
1,835 people. behind bookshelves in the living area mirroring the carpet’s pattern
Overall, the Dutch pavilion was very well received. The New of alternating reds. An unexpected decorative element – Rietveld
York Times wrote: “Some of the smaller countries at the Brussels typically eschewed ornament – was modern wallpaper by the
World’s Fair are giving lessons to the United States and the firm of Rath & Doodeheefver. Staghorn, designed by Rein Anema,
Soviet Union in the business of national exhibits. The exhibits featured a pattern of staghorn ferns in grey and yellow on a light
54
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