Marigold Avenue: how a competition from the Haagse Kunstkring shaped a neighborhood

In 1921, Haagse Kunstkring played an unexpectedly central role in the design of a new part of The Hague: the Goudsbloemlaan in the Bloemenbuurt. The municipality held a competition for the design of 176 houses, stores and a central square. That competition was co-organized by the association Enterprise and Freedom and supported by architects from the Architecture Department of the Haagse Kunstkring.

The entries – as many as 37 designs – were exhibited in the Kunstkring building. The jury included members of the Kunstkring, including W. van Boven and H.P. Berlage. Thus the Kunstkring became not only a place for debate and meeting, but also a stage for innovative urban planning. What followed was a design that received much appreciation both architecturally and urbanistically, especially for the interplay of housing, greenery, and well thought-out façade structures.

The article below was written by Otto Das, architect. He researches housing construction from the twentieth century and the consequences of the construction of the Atlantic Wall for urban development in the Bloemenbuurt of The Hague. Publications about his research appear regularly in ‘Wijkwijs’ the neighborhood organ of the Bloemenbuurt.

This text previously appeared in Wijkwijs 2024 a publication of the Bloemenbuurt De Hyacint neighborhood council, volume 46, March 2024, number 1.

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You’ll read how the design came about, what became of it, and how war, reconstruction and planning choices ultimately undermined the original idea:

140 Anemone-Goudflower Avenue, top view

The Goudsbloemlaan was the spatial center of The Hague Flower District from its inception in 1922. Therefore, great attention was paid to the design. The municipality launched a competition and was assisted by the Association for Enterprise and Freedom. It was a combination of smaller builders eager to do some of the construction on Marigold Avenue between Iris Street and Begonia Street. The association worked with architects affiliated with the Department of Architecture at Haagse Kunstkring and sought to improve contact between private builders and architects. In consultation with the Urban Development Department, Housing Department, the municipality launched a competition with impressive results.

1926 Gatehouse A gatehouse gave access to anemone street and the neighborhood building the Hyacinth. Now located on the left is the Segaar bakery and on the far right restaurant Beau. Everything in between was demolished after 1934 and replaced by new construction
ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION

A detailed program of requirements was drawn up for the plan of 176 homes. From numbers of dwellings to stores, everything was carefully determined in advance. Even the position of two gateway buildings on the long sides of the “square” that would give access to Anemoonstraat. Between Irisstraat and Begoniastraat, Goudsbloemlaan was widened to 44 meters so that a public garden could be laid out in the middle. It was reason to call this part of the avenue ‘Marigold Square’ in the beginning.

An expert jury was appointed to evaluate the submitted plans. Chairman was the architect Mr. W. van Boven (1969-1940), also a member of the Haagse Kunstkring. His fellow member of the Art Society Dr. H.P. Berlage (1856-1934) was also on the jury. From 1906 Berlage was responsible for many urban plans in The Hague.

On April 20, 1921, as many as 37 designs were exhibited in the Haagse Kunstkring. In the process, not one, but two first prizes of f 750 (now € 13,000) were awarded by Mayor Mr. J.A.N. Patijn (1873-1961).

1922 Blueprint converting Marigold Square

He pointed out the fruitful idea of holding a competition now that the “urban abuse had been made impossible by the Hague building regulations. The prizes went to Mr. J.W. van der Weele (1888-1948) for his design with the most successful floor plans and Messrs. J.M. Luthmann (1890-1973) and R.J. Herman (1895-1965) for their design of the facades. The three designers were jointly entrusted with the elaboration of the execution design.

1931 Marigold Avenue Curved masonry at gate, a work of art
FINAL DRAFT

In the final design, many 30-degree triangular bay windows were added. This was at the gate buildings, the corner houses and next to the stairwells. Above the purple substructure, the superstructure was bricked up in light yellow brick. A band of concrete was added between the two colors of masonry around the supporting steel structure. The design of the parkland was by Mr. P. Westbroek (1863-1926), after whom the famous park was later named. Thus was created a plan that won great acclaim, and the Bloemenbuurt became known for forays into fine architecture and the beautiful parks of The Hague.

DEMOLITION AND BOMBING

The beautiful plan was short-lived. Four days after the German invasion on May 10, 1940, the bombing of Rotterdam followed and the Netherlands capitulated. In addition to all the personal suffering, the Bloemenbuurt suffered an enormous attack. In 1943, the German occupiers ordered the evacuation and demolition of thousands of homes for the construction of the Atlantic Wall. They feared an Allied invasion from the North Sea and all buildings in a 500-m-wide zone had to be demolished. The Germans had a 2500 km defense line built from Norway to Spain. In The Hague, a zone parallel to the coast had to be cleared. Thousands of houses, the Stokroos Lyceum and the Hospital were demolished.

1945 Marigold Avenue
RECONSTRUCTION PLAN DUDOK

In 1945, the Bloemenbuurt looked battered. The Hague was faced with an enormous task; the housing shortage was enormous and new construction plans had to be drawn up quickly for the affected neighborhoods. The architect Willem Dudok (1884-1974) had already drawn up plans in 1934 for urban expansion in The Hague West. Two days after Liberation Day on May 5, 1945, Dudok again received two commissions from The Hague city council: the rebuilding of the city center and the rebuilding of the Atlantic Wall zone.

1945 Gatehouse
CLOSED BUILDING BLOCK AND STRIP PARCELIZATION

At the beginning of the 20th century, the closed building block was still common as an urban planning principle. In this, houses were placed around pre-planned public spaces, such as streets, avenues and squares. In this case, the less public rear sides of the houses were located on the inside of a block of houses.

This changed in 1928 when the architects of the CIAM (Congrès Internationale d’Architecture Moderne) emphatically put forward strip construction as a new form of subdivision. Dudok had already shown in his earlier plans that he was a supporter of this modern style. See, for example, the flats at right angles to the Sportlaan. There you can clearly see how an open subdivision allows the buildings to stand all around in the public space and how this subdivision differs from urban plans based on the principle of the closed building block.

In the explanatory notes to his plan for rebuilding in the Atlantic Wall zone, Dudok wrote: ‘Although the districts destroyed here and there undoubtedly possessed the charm of opulence and openness, they should certainly not be resurrected in their former form. For this entire destroyed area lies in a city district without rhythm, without tension, without differentiation: it was a strip in a flat, monotonous city’ With this he emphatically opposed the views of Berlage, his predecessor as urban planner of The Hague.

Goudsbloemlaan was still built on the principle of the closed building block. Given Dudok’s statements, it cannot have been a surprise to the municipal services that he paid no attention to the rebuilding of the demolished part of the Bloemen neighborhood. Unfortunately, Dudok also did not come up with a replacement urban design with attention to the connection of the new construction to the battered neighborhood.

DUBIOUS RESULT

Now Segbroeklaan runs right next to the extended part of Goudsbloemlaan with only a bike lane in between, an incomprehensible mistake. The remaining part of the widened Goudsbloemlaan is a parking lot. New construction has appeared with a gate that is only one story high, resulting in many collisions. In the original situation, the gatehouse had a height of one and a half stories so that large vehicles could pass properly. Beyond the gate, a large supermarket has appeared whose location is questionable to say the least. After its enthusiastic reception by the municipality in 1921, it is incomprehensible that the municipal urban planning department was unable to prevent these defects.

Remnants of the original plan are still present. Many triangular bay windows have also been spared. When you go shopping, check out the porches and on the corner of Iris Street and Begonia Street to enjoy the craftsmanship and unusual bay windows of a hundred years ago.