Dudok's Villa De Wikke, Hilversum

Last crawled date: 1 year, 9 months ago

Utrechtseweg 71, Hilversum, Netherlands It can be argued that what an architect builds for himself is the most historically and architecturally important in the oeuvre. As there was no need to compromise priorities and philosophy to the needs and desires of an external client, the ‘Villa De Wikke’, built in 1926, is perhaps Willem Marinus Dudok's (1884-1974) clearest expression of his ideas and maybe even his personality. The simple ‘T’ shaped plan creates important central places at the intersections. In the front inside corner, the entrance is accented in three dimensions with a formal entrance loggia, a broad canopy and a tall chimney. In the back, the main roof cascades down to the main level to create a cozy raised terrace overlooking the extensive natural gardens. The tightly disciplined main wing is defined by a simple hip roof and two floors of long linear strip windows that cleverly terminate with a circular cantilever element. Dudok’s home is essentially a modest and contextual composition. It fits nicely into the rest of the houses on the street and does not shout out for attention. Where it is unique, is in its logical precision and tight detailing that, with its neighbour No. 69 (also by Dudok), quietly assert themselves as two of the most beautiful houses in the district. As there are many images available for the front of the house, this side of the model is fairly accurate. Unfortunately, the rest is not as well documented with available drawings or plans and was therefore mostly based on Google and Bing map data. I apologize for any misinterpretation. #Dudok #Dudoks_home #Dutch_Houses #Hilversum