6.5" x 4.5"
Paper
THE NETHERLANDS

When in the overly picturesque town of Utrecht, do what the locals do not all do: drive around the area and visit Rietveld houses. If you have any interest in modern architecture, plan your adventure in advance with this map. Take it, get on a plane, train, or bus, then in a car, or on a bicycle, and spend several days following the suggested routes. I wish we had - it would have been a great time, rain or shine. We did, however, make it to the Rietveld house. (Book a time in advance via the Centraal Museum of Utrecht.) Beware, no pictures are allowed, however, minor details of the home are not very well documented, so dare to snap if you must. Alisa was scolded for grabbing a shot of the sink and faucet in the master bathroom. Designed in 1924, the Schröder House was Rietveld's first building, although credit for this home should be equally attributed to both designer and client: in an odd twist, Rietveld eventually lived in the house with the then-widowed Schröder. It is understood that they had a good rapport. The first floor is quite conventional, but the second is filled with sliding partitions, flying panels, and hidden details that make the space adaptable and unique. Rietveld deserves another take, especially if you have not taken him in for some time. As part of the visit, be sure not to miss the film, or the apartment buildings on Erasmuslaan, built at a later date as a social housing experiment. One last thing: by all means, be sure to put money in your parking meter! Utrecht is completely unforgiving about parking fines, as we can attest!