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Traditionalist architecture is an architectural movement in Europe since the beginning of the 20th century in theNetherlands,Scandinavia,Germany et al. In theNetherlands Traditionalism was a reaction to theNeo Gothic andNeo-Renaissance styles byPierre Cuypers (RijksmuseumAmsterdam 1885,Centraal StationAmsterdam 1889). One of the first influential buildings of Traditionalism was theBeurs van Berlage inAmsterdam, finished in 1903. Since the 1920s Traditionalist architecture has been a parallel movement toModern architecture (Cubist,Constructivist andExpressionist architecture).
InDutch architecture, the Traditionalist School was also a reaction againstFunctionalism as well as the Expressionism of theAmsterdam School, and meant a revival of rural and national architectural styles and traditions, with tidy,visible brickwork, minimal decoration and "honest" (that is, traditional and natural) materials.
It occurred after theFirst World War and at its center was, as it was called after 1945, the Delft School, led byMarinus Jan Granpré Molière, professor at theTechnical University inDelft from 1924 until 1953. Traditionalism can be seen in many ways as a direct successor toBerlage-typeRationalism.
It was highly influential on church design up after 1945, especially in Catholic architecture but gaining influence as well on Protestant architecture just before World War Two, especially on architects likeBerend Tobia Boeyinga andEgbert Reitsma. During the reconstruction after the war, its influence on secular architecture reached a peak while its importance for church architecture slowly vanished.
Beyond the Netherlands, the Traditionalist movement found resonance acrossNorthern Europe as architects sought to reconcile modern construction methods with regional identity. InScandinavia,Danish architects such asKay Fisker andC.F. Møller integrated traditional brick craftsmanship and proportion systems into functional, restrained designs that came to be known asNordic Classicism or Danish Functional Tradition. InGermany, figures likePaul Schmitthenner andHeinrich Tessenow promoted an architectural ethos centered on simplicity, permanence, and continuity with vernacular forms, opposing both avant-garde modernism and historicist eclecticism.
By the mid 20th century, the Traditionalist approach influenced post war reconstruction throughoutWestern Europe, especially in civic and housing projects that sought to evoke familiarity and stability amid rapid modernization. Although eclipsed in prominence by the International Style during the 1950s, Traditionalist architecture remained a key component of regionalist movements and continues to inform contemporary debates on sustainable and context sensitive design.[1][2]