Frits van Dongen

Frits van Dongen’s architecture is characterized by a strong urban identity. The iconographical nature of ‘The Whale’ residential complex in Amsterdam, the showbiz-like aura of the Pathé ArenA multiplex in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, the perfect combination of architecture old and new for the Philharmonie concert building in Haarlem and the dramatic machinery of ‘De Harmonie’ city theatre in Leeuwarden all serve to illustrate the dynamic interaction between Van Dongen’s buildings and their context. Frits van Dongen has also managed to apply this interaction between architecture and urban construction as an instrument for new urban dynamics in urban development projects such as IJburg and Funen in Amsterdam and Bolzano in Italy. Mr. Van Dongen co-founded de Architekten Cie in 1988 and has been a partner ever since. His work has been featured also biennials from Amsterdam, Chicago, Venice and São Paolo. He was awarded the Kubus 2006 by the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects (BNA) for his entire oeuvre, has twice been awarded the City of Rotterdam’s Prize for Architectural Quality, for De Admiraal and De Landtong, and received a Design Award from the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for ‘De Harmonie’ theatre. Van Dongen regularly lectures in the Netherlands, Spain, United States, Canada, Sweden, Croatia, Germany and Austria. He has also been a guest professor at Universitat Internacional de Catalunya in Barcelona in Spain, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in Spain, Universität Konstanz in Germany, Delft University of Technology and at Academies of Architecture in Amsterdam, Rotterdam in The Netherlands.