Unveil a Jan Benthem-designed 1980s High-Tech capsule home, built in a matter of days
Jan Benthem's 10 De Fantasie House: A Pioneering Example of High-Tech Architecture
In the heart of Almere, Netherlands, stands a seminal example of High-Tech architectural style – the 10 De Fantasie house, designed and largely built by Jan Benthem in 1984.
Benthem's innovative design gained international attention and was widely featured in the press. The house, constructed on a two-metre grid, primarily from 'catalogue materials', showcases a distilled and elegantly realised version of the High-Tech style, echoing earlier pioneers like Richard and Su Rogers, Norman Foster, and Michael and Patty Hopkins in the UK.
The walls of 10 De Fantasie are made from toughened glass, while the floor decking, front wall, and partitions were crafted from panels used for making refrigerated truck bodies. This approach, using readily available industrial materials, not only served as the primary aesthetic feature but also demonstrated Benthem's commitment to sustainability and efficiency.
Almere, a young town at the time, embraced the project as part of an urban self-building initiative. The success of 10 De Fantasie and other homes built in the De Fantasie area helped fuel a culture of self-building, incentivised by Almere's local council. Housing ministers from across Europe have visited Almere to consider if its self-building model could address the continent's housing shortage.
Despite its architectural acclaim and international interest, Benthem's diaphanous design did not convince the general public, who sometimes perceived it as too futuristic or "space-like" for a home. This may have hindered Benthem’s further commissions for similar houses.
Jan Benthem, a successful architect from the Netherlands, has also made significant contributions to the architectural landscape of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Benthem Crouwel, his practice, designed impressive steel and glass buildings for Rotterdam's main train station and has been the primary architect for Schiphol Airport for the past 25 years. More recently, Benthem Crouwel has also designed Utrecht Centraal station and metro stations in Amsterdam.
In his personal life, Benthem resides in a compact 17th-century cottage on a canal in Amsterdam. His approach to living, particularly in microhouses, is characterised by the Miesian maxim of 'less is more'.
As we look back at 10 De Fantasie, it remains a high-water mark of High-Tech architecture fused with industrial materials and self-build philosophy, significantly impacting self-building trends in Almere and inspiring housing policy discussions on a European level.
The 10 De Fantasie house, designed by Jan Benthem, is a remarkable example of High-Tech architecture that showcases the integration of industrial materials, such as toughened glass and refrigerated truck body panels, demonstrating Benthem's commitment to sustainability and efficiency.
Benthem's diaphanous design, though architecturally acclaimed, did not always resonate with the general public, who sometimes found it too futuristic or space-like, which may have affected his further commissions for similar projects.
