Tuindorp Vreewijk, Rotterdam: a church hall or community centre

NOTES: Tuindorp (literally garden village) Vreewijk, was Rotterdam's first garden village, and the brainchild of the banker K.P. van der Mandele. In 1913 he bought a patch of land in South Rotterdam and commissioned Berlage to draw up an urban plan for it. The aim was for a mixed tenancy with many office clerks, council officials and teachers living alongside manual labourers. Berlage's design with its angled street pattern which retained the original watercourses on site was fleshed out in 1916 by Granpre Moliere, Verhagen, Kok, De Roos and Overeijnder. Building began slowly in 1917, owing to shortages of materials in the First World War. By 1942 a total of 5700 houses had been built. A major renovation of the houses was carried out in 1981.