© KLM Aerocarto
The drive-in houses on Anthonie van Dijckstraat in Amsterdam were built in 1935–1936 and are an early example of modernist residential architecture in the Netherlands.
The houses reflect the principles of Nieuwe Bouwen: functional planning, clean geometry, generous daylight and a close relationship between the interior and the garden. The characteristic feature is the integration of the car into the ground floor of the house, allowing the upper levels to be organised primarily around living spaces.
The separation of functions produces a clear vertical organisation. Service and access functions occupy the lower level, while the main living spaces are positioned above and benefit from increased privacy and daylight.
The architecture deliberately avoids historical ornament. Instead, the expression comes from the composition of volumes, horizontal lines, windows and balconies. The houses demonstrate the modernist belief that new ways of living should lead to new forms of architecture.
The project is associated primarily with Willem van Tijen, who was Maaskant’s employer and later business partner. It is nevertheless relevant to Maaskant’s early development, as it belongs to the architectural environment in which he developed his functionalist approach to housing.
The houses remain in residential use today.
