ARCHITECTUURGIDS.NL / ARCHITECTUREGUIDE.NL

HOUSING, URBAN DESIGN FRANKENDAEL

MERKELBACH & KARSTEN/MERKELBACH & ELLING, 1947-1951, Maxwellstraat, Lorentzlaan e.o., Amsterdam

ARCHITECT(URAL OFFICE):
Merkelbach & Elling
Merkelbach & Karsten

ASSISTING ARCHITECT:
Mart Stam

URBAN DESIGN:
Ko Mulder

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT:
Mien Ruys

ARCHITECT(URAL OFFICE):
Ben Merkelbach
Piet Elling
Charles Karsten

BUILDING TYPE:
Housing
Urban plans

A 1939 design for row housing was with the exception of a few privately built blocks, recast using the 'open court' principle. The basic unit consists of two low-rise L-shapes around a court with a playground and greenery, all dwellings having a garden facing south-west and a north-east entrance. Besides 396 family dwellings split 'for the time being' into duplex units, the district consists of villas, a few facilities such as schools and shops and much public greenspace. The future of this neighbourhood is uncertain; the housing corporations would prefer to demolish it, though architectural historians and the heritage department take the opposite view.