Photo: www.gooienvechthistorisch.nl (SAGV077)
Interwar period
Urban character
In the interwar period (the period between the two world wars) the urban character of Hilversum took shape. The population growth that started at the end of the nineteenth century continued to an even greater extent in the first half of the twentieth century. The need for (workers’) housing was great. This included schools and churches. The modern age also called for shops and home furnishing houses, and the first offices, fashion houses and theaters arose.
Municipal architect Dudok
The urban development of Hilversum was determined by Dudok in the interwar period. From his appointment as Director of Public Works in 1915 until his retirement as Municipal Architect in 1954, he was involved in the planning, design and construction of working-class neighbourhoods, schools and non-residential buildings in the growing municipality. This has largely determined the face of Hilversum to this day. But by agreement with the municipality, Dudok was not allowed to act as a private architect in Hilversum. The arrival of the broadcasters, the further development of villa parks and the more luxurious residential areas for the middle class gave sufficient space for other architects to make a name for themselves in Hilversum.
Broadcasting buildings
The establishment around 1920 of the Dutch Signal Equipment Factory in Hilversum led to the development of radio broadcasting in the municipality. In the pillarized Netherlands, each denomination set up its own broadcaster. Initially, the broadcasters settled in existing villas, but soon a need arose for more space and more visibility in their own buildings.
In 1930, the VARA had its broadcasting villa on the Heuvellaan extended by architects Eibink and Snellebrand into a large studio complex. Here we find the oldest radio studio in our country. The AVRO (1936, Merkelbach and Karsten), the KRO (1938, Willem Maas) and the NCRV (1938, Van der Veen) also had their own iconic studio buildings built.
Architecture
The construction of villas and luxury residences continued in the interwar period. The architecture followed the prevailing fashion: Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) at the beginning of the twentieth century, the style of the Amsterdam School around the 1920s, followed by the New Objectivity, depending on the taste of the client or the style of the architect. Well-known names in Hilversum were B.H. and C.M. Bakker, C. Trappenburg, E.G. Afternoon and Nick. andriessen. Architects J. van Laren and C. de Groot built luxury middle-class homes along Vermeerlaan in the style of the Amsterdam School.
Het Nieuwe Bouwen
The clean air and the space on the heath south of Hilversum made this place suitable for the establishment of a sanatorium for TBC sufferers. Trade unionist Jan van Zutphen of the Algemene Nederlandse Diamantbewerkers Bond was the driving force behind the construction of Zonnestraal sanatorium. The world-famous sanatorium is an exemplary example of the New Building with the adage Light, Air and Space. It was designed by architects Jan Duiker and Bernard Bijvoet and engineer Jan Gerko Wiebenga. The Hotel-Theater Gooiland on Emmastraat was also designed by the architects in the style of Het Nieuwe Bouwen.