Café De Unie In Rotterdam 1925 / JJP Oud Architect

Architects: Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud
Year: 1925
City: Rotterdam
Country: Netherlands

JJP Oud’s Café de Unie, a controversial café designed by J.J.P. Oud architect in Rotterdam, introduced bold colors and geometric lines in 1925, sparking criticism for its contrast with nearby structures. Despite its aim to reflect Mondrian’s neoplasticism, the building received limited scholarly attention. Critics like Alfred Barr saw it as overly dependent on Mondrian, while Yves-Alain Bois highlighted its divergence from de Stijl principles. The original structure, destroyed in a 1940 air raid, was replicated in 1986, ensuring Oud’s design remains a part of Rotterdam’s architectural landscape.

Café de Unie in Rotterdam 1925 / JJP Oud Architect | Classics on Architecture Lab

JJP Oud’s Café de Unie in Rotterdam, unveiled in 1925, drew significant attention for its stark departure from the architectural norms of its surroundings. Critics noted Oud’s apparent disregard for the urban context, surprising given his role as the city’s Chief Municipal Architect. the building’s bold blue and red coloring, rigid horizontal and vertical lines, and complete lack of decoration stood in stark contrast to the curved and ornamented structures nearby.

Despite its attempt to embody Mondrian’s neoplasticism in architecture, few theoretical texts explored the building in depth. Gerrit Rietveld’s Schröderhuis, built in 1924, received more scholarly focus. Sigfried Giedion mentioned Café de Unie briefly in his 1928 work “Building in France, Building in Ferroconcrete,” contrasting it with Robert Mallet-Stevens’ arts and crafts tradition.

Alfred Barr, chief curator at MoMA, offered a restrained evaluation, noting the facade’s adaptation of Modrian’s “Composition” and its adherence to de Stijl’s typographical layout principles, designed by van Doesburg in 1921. However, Barr’s biographer, Sybil Gordon Kantor, recorded his critical view of the café, deeming it overly dependent on Mondrian.

In contrast, Yves-Alain Bois, in a footnote in his 1993 book “Painting as Model,” argued that Café de Unie diverged from de Stijl principles, emphasizing modular repetition instead.

The building, which faced strong opposition during the interwar period, was destroyed by a German bomb in 1940. A replica of Oud’s original facade was erected in Rotterdam in 1986, preserving its legacy.