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Villa Elwin
1902 / W. Langhout

Villa Elwin is a substantial villa built in a transitional style characteristic of the construction period. The villa is located on the corner of Bothalaan and Steijnlaan, two roads that were built in 1901 as part of the development of the Kannesheuvel villa park in Trompenberg. Architect Willem Langhout (1850-1936) designed the enormous building in 1902, commissioned by Mrs J.E. from Iterson-Viruly.

The villa is playfully composed of various staggered parts with a characteristic roof structure. The white plastered facades are characterized by accents of red brick in the form of relief arches, stretching and bacon layers. In 1942 the girls’ boarding school Hill House was located in the villa and in 1947 the building was occupied by the newly established Radio Nederland Wereldomroep. The villa included a consultation studio with control room. Due to a lack of space, RNW moved to the modern complex on Witte Kruislaan in 1961. After that, the villa had several residents, including the VARA. The villa now houses a notary’s office.

Architect Langhout settled in Amsterdam in 1877. In 1904 he moved to the Gooi, where he was active as a real estate agent and architect until about 1920. He built a number of large villas, in which he was guided by the work of De Bazel, Berlage and J.W. Hanrath. He occasionally worked with his son, ir. G.J. Langhout (1879-1962), who with J.F. Staal built the Telegraaf building on Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal in 1930.