Hugh Maaskant Architect of Progress
Today considered the godfather and forerunner of a generation that includes Adriaan Geuze, Rem Koolhas, Winy Maas and Willem Jan Neutelings, Hugh Maaskant (1907-1977) was underappreciated for many years. Maaskant led the postwar reconstruction of Rotterdam, designing revolutionary, complex, large-scale buildings, such as the Groothandelsgebouw and Euromast, as well as the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel and the Scheveningen Pier in The Hague. In Hugh Maaskant: Architect of Progress, historian and Maaskant scholar Michelle Provoost orients the architect in an international as well as historical perspective, recounting his work in the context of the optimistic reconstruction of the postwar period as well as the exciting developments of the 1960s and Holland's increasing prosperity throughout that decade. The book features both historical and recent photographs, including a series taken especially for this edition by internationally renowned architectural photographer Iwan Baan.