Architectural style of Larense architect Wouter Hamdorff

Wouter Christiaan Hamdorff was born on September 12, 1890, in Laren. After World War I, Wouter Hamdorff established himself as an independent architect in Laren in 1918.

A distinct architectural style
With the arrival of the Gooise Steam Tram in 1880, Laren became more accessible to a larger public. The construction of the Eastern Railway in 1875 had already opened up Bussum and Hilversum earlier, turning them into commuter towns. The respectable bourgeoisie also discovered Laren as a place to live. In such circles, Hamdorff's architectural style was highly appreciated, and from 1920 onwards, the commissions for villas became increasingly frequent and substantial. Particularly at the edge of the 'delightful heath', beautiful new houses emerged.

Hamdorff's architectural style is characterized by a romantic appearance. In Dutch country house architecture, there was an attempt to continue the traditions of old and artisanal country house construction, albeit for 'modern' people with different needs. These traditions, such as the simple brick facades, thatched roofs, and a serene balance, can be clearly seen in Gooise country house architecture, especially in Laren. Intimate, harmonious, and rural homes proved to be very popular with the new affluent buyers. Old Gooise farms served as an inspiration for the new designs. The farms were of the long-house type, without a floor and covered with a thatched saddle roof. The roofs had—sometimes due to age—sloping roof planes or slanting ridges. Inspiration was also drawn from English country house architecture. The prevailing ideas about an artisanal way of building spread to the rest of Europe. It was of great importance to Wouter Hamdorff that the house to be built formed a unity with the natural environment. In this, Hamdorff followed the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, whom he greatly admired. It is important to consider that the country houses are often no longer located in the environment for which they were designed. Undeniably, influences from the Amsterdam School can be seen in Hamdorff's work. It is believed that Hamdorff acquired this knowledge while he worked for Dudok, who was significantly influenced by the Amsterdam School. Hamdorff was not a theorist; he was primarily attracted to various aspects of the Amsterdam School, such as the freedom of individual expression, the plasticity of buildings, the formal language, and the artisanal building method.

Design phases
The earliest known design by Hamdorff concerns a sketch for a studio house in country house style for Hein van de Velde. It appeared that he was still searching for the right form and layout: the dining room and kitchen were far apart, and the dining room could only be accessed through the living room.
In the early period from 1915 to 1920, Hamdorff drew small houses with a thatched saddle roof that slopes down on one side. The designs often exhibit details derived from Gooise cottages, such as roofs terminating in gables with pointy ends and clad gable ends.
From 1920 to 1931, he received numerous commissions for large country houses. After thoroughly studying the surroundings, sketches were made, and sometimes a clay model was also created. A fine example of this is the model of a (small-scale) studio house for the painter Anton Smeerdijk in Kortenhoef. Important for Hamdorff was the silhouette. The appearance of the exterior of the building was of great importance. However, sometimes the functionality of the building suffered as a result. For example, the loggia of this studio house was enclosed due to the fierce eastern wind on that side of the house. Because he was now receiving commissions from very wealthy individuals, the construction budget was often not an issue. For a house on Vliegweg in Blaricum, he tried out two complete designs. Two wooden 'models' were made in a one-to-one scale to indicate the contours of the house.

Around 1930, there was a certain saturation in the designs for country houses; the romantic motifs became almost exaggerated. In 1934, Hamdorff's style changed. He designed houses for the first time with a shed roof: a roof that slopes down only on one side. He was the first architect to apply this roof shape in the Gooi region. The strict, conservative beauty committees had difficulty with it. However, he maintained his preference for natural materials and refrained from all unnecessary ornamentation.
After World War II, this preference for shed roofs vanished again. Hamdorff now used simple gable roofs that were tiled. During this period, his work was based on artisanal material processing, traditional color use, and simple forms. This gave his work a kinship with the so-called 'Delft School style' (1930-1955).

In the 1950s, Wouter Hamdorff built together with his son Jaap and with Theo Rutgers. The houses from this period are not particularly characteristic of his oeuvre, which has been praised to this day primarily for its application of the 'Gooise country house style.' In her book about Wouter Hamdorff, Drs. M. Estourgie-Beijer roughly divides Hamdorff's country house architecture into four periods:
1915-1920: Small country houses, often studio homes, corresponding to the type of Gooise day laborers' houses. The influence of the Amsterdam School is already present.
1920-1931: Large expressionist romantic country houses, strongly influenced by the historical rural building style. The relationship with the Amsterdam School becomes stronger.
1931 - 1940: Characterized by a sleek but powerful formal language. The shed roof is an expression of this.
1940 - 1960: A return to regional examples, in conception aligned with the prevailing building tradition. Now also in ornamentation a simplification.

Other important villas by Hamdorff are located in Loosdrecht (Veendijk 15, 'De Karekiet', with boat house), Aerdenhout (Nachtegalenlaan 12), and Bloemendaal ('Schependuinen' on Brederode-laan). The house 'Schapenduinen' is, by the way, Hamdorff's largest villa design and dates from 1930. The client for this huge property was J. Bierens de Haan. The construction of the villa, which can be compared to Zeveneinde on Vredelaan, cost 173,000 guilders at the time.

In addition to villas, Hamdorff also built other objects. His water tower on the Rijksweg in Laren is one of the most interesting examples of this type of utility building. The former Public Library is also notable due to the rural character of the building. On Kerklaan, he designed a fairly large residential house with a shop (Kerklaan 9-9a). In 1953, Hamdorff designed a large riding school with a roof structure of wooden trusses. The building can be found at the end of Paviljoensweg. As the last major design commission, Hamdorff worked on the dam in the Lek near Hagestein. This construction still evokes admiration today due to its exceptional design.

Demolished and preserved
Over time, some of Wouter Hamdorff's objects in Laren have disappeared. On Hilversumseweg stood a kiosk and restaurant Klein Hamdorff built in 1916. The building was demolished in 1929.
At Pijlsteeg, now known as Kerklaan, Hamdorff built a Reformed church in 1917. The church was simply constructed of dark brick. Above the three semi-circular doors in the front facade, three tall windows were installed. The saddle roof was pierced by tall windows on the sides. The ridges over these windows created the impression of a transept. Unfortunately, this church was demolished to make way for the current, larger church building.
The sheepfold on the heath, built in 1935/1936, was also demolished.
On the parking lot opposite the restaurant 'Golden River' on Stationsweg, the bus station existed until about twenty years ago. This station consisted of two lanes, three platforms, and a small building that was constructed by Wouter Hamdorff in 1953. The building contained four rooms: an office for the manager with a ticket counter; a waiting area; a staff room; and a VVV office. The windows of the building were made of steel.
Despite the disappearance of several objects, Hamdorff's oeuvre is relatively well documented, preserved, and protected. Hamdorff's archive is located in the Dutch Architecture Institute in Rotterdam. A significant number of Hamdorff's objects in Laren have been selected by the government in recent years for inclusion in the national monument register. The former library, villa 'Oranjestein' on Torenlaan, 'Westerheide' on Herdersweg, 'Zeveneinde', and the building at Herdersweg 23 have now been designated as national monuments. Additionally, a selection of the most representative and well-preserved houses designed by Hamdorff has been added to the municipal monument list. Given the interest and appreciation of the owners for their properties and the general appreciation for the design qualities of Wouter Hamdorff, we can assume that his works will also be preserved for future generations.

Visit Gooi & Vecht