RIETVELD, GERRITTHOMAS

(1888–1964)

Architect. After several years working as a furniture maker, Rietveld studied architecture and was influenced by the geometric artistic concepts of Theo van Does burgand his periodical De Stijl. He participated after 1928 in a number of international congresses on modern architecture. Rietveld designed several houses, including the famous Rietveld Schroder House (since 2000 a United NationsEducational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization [UNESCO] World Heritage Site) and residential areas in Utrecht, The Hague, and other cities. He designed the building for the Van GoghMuseum in Amsterdamand a pavilion in the sculpture garden of the Kroller-MullerMuseum in Otterlo, Gelderland. He also designed several furniture pieces, including the “Rietveld chair,” influenced by the ideas of De Stijland Piet Mondrian.