Peutz Lecture: Erik van Eck

The Friends of SCHUNCK present Erik van Eck (1961) as the speaker for the 20th Peutz Lecture.

Erik van Eck

Van Eck is the architect-director of the renowned firm Broekbakema Architects, known, among other projects, for the recently completed headquarters of DSM-Firmenich in Maastricht.

In the early 20th century (1935), on behalf of textile merchant Peter Schunck—his style icon—Frits Peutz designed the Glaspaleis in Heerlen. Around the same period, Leendert van der Vlugt from the architecture firm Brinkman & Van der Vlugt designed the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam. Both buildings are considered classic examples of modernist architecture, celebrated both in the Netherlands and internationally.

Connection

Broekbakema Architects’ roots lie in a long tradition of 'people-centered building'. It all began with the famed architect Michiel Brinkman in 1910, the founder of the firm. Jan Brinkman and Leendert van der Vlugt followed in his footsteps when they designed the Van Nelle Factory. Their successors, architects Van den Broek and Bakema, believed that Dutch architecture needed a fresh approach with a more human scale. Within the firm, there is a deep belief that solidarity is the central function of buildings; every person wants to belong somewhere, as community is strength. At Broekbakema, natural environments are created where people feel at home. In the conviction that simplicity makes a difference, the firm has been designing buildings with timeless allure for over 100 years.

Erik van Eck: