The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has selected the internationally acclaimed Dutch architect Herman Hertzberger as the Royal Gold Medalist of 2012. Hertzberger established his firm Architectuurstudio HH in 1958 and since has made significant contributions to the world of modern architecture. He is not only an architect, but a teacher and published writer. Hertzberger has won a great many competitions, has been made an honorary member of several cultural bodies and has been awarded international architecture prizes, both for individual projects and for his oeuvre as a whole. Continue reading for more information on Hermam Hertzberger and the video above.
His practice is known for its many schools, housing complexes and cultural centers found throughout Netherlands as well as many other countries. A few of his most famous buildings include the headquarters of Centraal Beheer insurance company in Apeldoorn, Vredenburg Music Centre in Utrecht and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment in The Hague.
In making the film ‘A Structure for Life’ about Hertzberger, Tony Chapman visited five of his schools, four offices, four cultural buildings, four housing projects and two university buildings in Amsterdam, Apeldoorn, Arnhem, Berlin, Breda, Cologne, Delft, the Hague, Leeuwarden and Utrecht. These 19 buildings sum up his 50 years in architecture.
“For the Dutch architect Herman Hertzberger the structure of a building is not an end in itself, it is literally the framework for the life that goes on inside it, a life that is determined by its users. This goes for a school, a home or an office – all building types that he has transformed in a 50-year career in architecture.”
Reference: RIBA
