(Bonas essay by F. Oudshoorn, abridged version) Private life and education Auke Komter was born in Leeuwarden on May 16, 1904. His father was a partner in the company B.J. Kuipers & Co. which consisted of a beer warehouse and beer trade, and he wanted his son to eventually take over the business. Auke initially complies and studies at the Hoogere Handelsschool in Deventer from 1921-1923. Eventually he decides not to follow in his father's footsteps - partly due to a failing grade in accounting - and decides to become an architect. Auke learns the trade of architect in practice and begins his training at the architectural office of Doeke Meintema (1877-1935) in Leeuwarden. Meintema gained experience at the firm of Ed. Cuypers and Henri Evers and had his own office in Leeuwarden from 1918, when he was now 41 years old. Meintema's buildings showed a reflection, an eye for pure proportions and were so excellently constructed that they attracted attention far beyond Friesland. The period in Leeuwarden were Komter's first years of training as an architect, and he was probably mainly acquiring basic knowledge. Komter moved from Leeuwarden to Amsterdam in 1926 - to his next employer, the engineer Meyers, with whom he worked for about a year. Meintema's style is also not found in Komter's later work. From 1927-1928, Auke Komter works at the office of Jan Duiker. It is not clear, how Komter ends up on Duiker's desk, but possibly the connection between Duiker and Meintema is their mutual teacher Henri Evers. Meintema and Duiker worked at Evers' bureau for at least one year at the same time and may have established a collegial or friendly relationship and may have had contact over apprentices. Jan Duiker was very well known in the national and international architectural world. Komter therefore most likely became acquainted with a large group of architects through Duiker's architectural circle. Albert Boeken also belonged to this circle of architects, as he too had joined the Nieuwe Bouwen movement. At Albert Boeken's office, Aukes' education continued. During the years at Boeken's office, commissions consist mainly of designing houses for a number of Amsterdam neighborhoods. During his time at Boeken, Auke Komter is therefore mainly involved in housing and urban planning. Albert Boeken, like Duiker, joined the CIAM congresses and knew the French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier personally. Possibly Boeken put in a good word for Komter. In any case, Komter left for Paris in 1930 to work in Le Corbusier's office. Komter stayed in Paris for the period of a year at the office of P. Jeanneret (Le Corbusier's cousin) and Le Corbusier. He receives no pay for his work with Le Corbusier and thus works voluntarily with the French-Swiss architect. Very little else is available about this period of Auke Komter. For example, it is not known what tasks he was allowed to perform at Le Corbusier's and whether he actually spoke with Le Corbusier. In any case, what is certain is that Komter became very inspired by his period with Le Corbusier. The designs Komter created after his time in Paris show a clear influence of this teacher's ideas. Life in Paris is marked not only by hard work, but also by his meeting with Edith. Edith Marie Real was Swiss by descent and worked as a bookbinder at the Bibliothèque Nationale. Komter mirrors to her a splendid life in Holland and so it happens that Komter does not return to Holland alone. Period 1931-1945 Edith and Auke settle in Amsterdam and live for a short period in an old warehouse on Prinseneiland. In addition to its function as studio and home, the studio is also used for hosting large parties. Boeken describes the atelier as a beautiful party room, in which the elements of toiling bohemia and rich man's life, of historic colorful tough-Amsterdam atmosphere and sophisticated anemic "New Building" were intertwined. From 1936-1941 Komter, together with Marius Duintjer, made a total of three different designs for Amsterdam's town hall competition. There was great interest in this competition; as many as 225 entries were received for the first public round. The jury did not reach a final decision after the second round and so both Duintjer and Komter and Berghoef and Vegter had to further elaborate their designs in a third and decisive round. In the end, the duo Komter and Duintjer came in second behind Berghoef and Vegter's design. In addition to designing buildings, Auke Komter also engaged in furniture design in the middle of this period. For example, together with Mart Stam, he designs the interior of the Dutch Pavilion at the World Exhibition in Paris. During World War II, the flow of projects falters and Komter has no official commissions. During this time he mainly makes many toys for his three daughters. In addition, he participates in several study competitions, which are specially issued by agencies to keep architects working even during the war, and makes a number of furniture designs. Furthermore, during this period Komter also works with Zanstra, Giesen and Sijmons on several new types of housing and on the design of a new expansion plan for Amsterdam. It is only after World War II that the project train resumes and Komter receives a parade of commissions. The first commissions that came in were memorials for the fallen of World War II. In 1945, for example, Komter, together with Gerard Holt, designs the Honorary Cemetery in Overveen in the dunes. He also participates in the competition for the Monument to the Fallen in Eindhoven and, together with Van der Steur, designs the temporary monument on Dam Square, as a precursor to the National Monument by J.J.P. Oud and J. Rädecker. From 1948 until the early 1960s, Komter also designed several homes for the elderly. These retirement homes do not always excel in beauty, but the retirement home de Klokkenbelt in Almelo does have interesting formal elements. However, Komter is not only concerned with elderly people; he also makes designs for the young public in the form of schools. Again, most of the schools are simple in design and, at first glance, also not very interesting in terms of design. Period 1968-1982 After 1965, Komter actually has hardly any large projects. In 1968 he designs a home for the elderly in Monnickendam. In 1975 he rebuilds the farm of the Bierma family in St. Jacobiparochie, but after these two projects it becomes quiet around Auke Komter in terms of architectural designs. Komter is especially busy during this period as chairman of the Architecture Museum Foundation (SAM). On October 24, 1982 - four years after the exhibition of Komter's work in the Droogbak in Amsterdam - Komter dies in the home he designed himself in the Beatrixflat on the Beethovenstraat in Amsterdam. Foundation Architecture Museum (1956-1975) Komter played an important part in the establishment of the Architecture Museum. In 1956 he became a board member of the Stichting Architectuur Museum and from 1963-1975 he was its chairman. The foundation set itself the task of "collecting, preserving, maintaining and making archives accessible to interested parties," thus building a collection for the future museum. The foundation amassed many important private archives, but without government support it was unable to achieve its own objective. Thus, the material still remained inaccessible to the public. Nor did it come to a museum, not even its own building; the material was housed here and there. Finally, in 1988, the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi) was founded, the forerunner of The New Institute. The NAi was formed from three cultural institutions: the Stichting Architectuur Museum, the Nederlands Documentatiecentrum voor de Bouwkunst and the Stichting Wonen. Auke Komter did not live to see the founding of the NAI, but indirectly contributed to making the NAI possible. Education: 3-year HBS Leeuwarden/1917-1920; Hogere Handelsschool Deventer/1921-1923; Architectural training: bureau D. Meintema Leeuwarden/1923-1925, bureau ir. Meyers Amsterdam/1926, bureau J. Duiker Amsterdam/1927-1928, bureau A. Boeken Amsterdam//1928-, bureau Le Corbusier Paris/1930-1931 Additional positions: Group 32 (member)/1932-1934; De 8 (member)/1934-1938; Bouwkundig weekblad Architectura (editorial member)/1934; Tijdschrift De 8 en Opbouw (editorial member)/1936/; Genootschap Architectura et Amicitia (ordinary member)/1933-1934, 1941-1942, 1946-1982; Genootschap Architectura et Amicitia (board member)/1934; Amsterdams Comité ter studie naoorlogse kunstenaarsorganisatie (committee member)/1942-1943; Genoootschap Architectura et Amicitia (chairman)/1945-1956; Residential Architecture Study Group (member)/1943-1945; Forum (editorial board member)/1946-1959; Prix de Rome for monumental and decorative painting and sculpture (jury member)/1947; Core Group (in 1943 Study Group) residential architecture (member)/1943-/; Two working groups on a new residential area to be built in Vlaardingen (advisor)/; Academy of Architecture (chairman)/1950-1959; Foundation Architecture Museum (board member)/1956-1963; Foundation Architecture Museum (chairman)/10 April 1963-23 February 1975; Wederopbouwplannen Rotterdam (collaborator)/1940-1945; Almelo, IJsselmeerpolders and Westerschouwen (urban planning consultant)/1945-1963; Tilburg (urban planning consultant)/1948-1957; Verkeersplanologische Commissie Gemeente Tilburg (member)/1965-1969; Zuiderzeepolders (aesthetic consultant as successor to Granpré Molière)/; Urban Planning Council for Amsterdam (member)/1959, 1960-1961; Urban Planning Council (member)/1961, 1967-1970; Hogere Schoonheidscommissie Leeuwarden (member)/1970-1975; Comité Doornse Leergangen (member)/1941/; Contest design study 3 beach bath, A et A (jury member)/1933; Contest design study 7 doctor's house on Keizersgracht, A et A (jury member)/1935; Competition for neighborhood center Laanweg Amsterdam-Noor, A et A in cooperation with the municipality of Amsterdam (jury member)/1954; Public competition for tombstone designs, Landelijke Adviescommissie voor Kerkhoven en Begraafplaatsen(jury member)/1955; Architectuurraad B.N.A.(member)/1954/; Vereniging voor Voortgezet en Hoger Bouwkunst Onderricht(voorzitter)1951-1959; Permanent Prize Commission (standing committee B.N.A. with other bodies)(member for A.et A.)/1955; Exhibition Council B.N.A./; Combined Stylos-Poorters Lustrumprijsvraag (jury member)/1954; Multiple study assignment building Beestenmarkt Amersfoort (advisor)/1975; Prix de Rome for Fine Architecture 1950 (jury member)/1950 Honors: Officer Order of Orange-Nassau