Rietveld-Schröder House

Description:

• Constructed in 1924, this family home was something of a shocker at the time and represents a high point of the De Stijl movement that so influenced contemporary art. It was designed by Utrecht architect and designer Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964) -- famous for his angular red-and-blue chair (1918) -- and a female would-be architect, Truus Schröder (at the time it was virtually impossible for a woman to work as an architect). The plaster exterior bears De Stijl's signature red, yellow, blue, and gray tones, and the innovative interior is a model of space-saving and efficiency. Rietveld and Schröder both lived here until their deaths. The house was restored in 1985 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, owned by the Centraal Museum. The tour operated by the museum also takes in the Rietveld Model Home, at Erasmuslaan 9 in Utrecht.

• © Frommer's 2013