A.R. Wittop Koning (1878-1961) Adrianus Rudolphus Wittop Koning was born April 6, 1878, in Rotterdam, the son of Dirk Arnold Wittop Koning and Martina Susanna Everdina de Moulin. His father was engineer Gemeentewerken and builder of the Willemsbrug in 1872. After training at the local drawing academy, he went on to become a structural engineer. He moved to Bussum in 1902 and was employed by K.P.C. De Bazel from 1902-? De Bazel was not only concerned with architecture but was also a very well-known designer in the field of applied arts and crafts. His influence on Wittop Koning's work is clearly recognizable. After a short period as an independent architect, Wittop Koning moved to Groningen in 1917, where he became a member of artists' association De Ploeg. In the same year he married Wubbina Catharina Rengers Hora Siccama. From 1905-1924 he was an outside member of the society Architectura et Amicitia in Amsterdam. Furthermore, his name appears on a list of architects for public housing in 1918, drawn up by De Bazel. In 1917 he left for Groningen, where he established himself as an independent architect, and became a member of artists' society De Ploeg. Important projects in Groningen in 1922 were the Amsterdam Bank (destroyed in 1945) and the Coendershuis of art and bookstore Scholtens, both on the Grote Markt. In 1935, together with A.Th. van Elmpt, he designed the still image-defining building of N.V. Levensverzekerings Mij 'De Utrecht' at Gedempte Zuiderdiep. Furthermore, various designs of mainly villas in the southern part of the city and Haren. Outside Groningen he acquired numerous assignments elsewhere in the country. An example is the double house on the Rutger Jan Schimmelpennincklaan in The Hague where the art collector R.J. Veendorp, very well known for Groningen, lived. Unfortunately, this building was demolished in 1943 for a defense belt. But not only new buildings had his interest. Restoration of the Menkemaborg in Uithuizen and a large number of churches in the province were carried out under Wittop Koning's direction. In 1953 he was awarded the province's cultural prize for professional artists for 1952, established by the Provincial Council of Groningen. Wittop Koning also had several designs in the field of arts and crafts to his name. In 1905 he designed a bedroom furniture for the Binnenhuis of Jac. van de Bosch, electric reflector lanterns, one of which was addressed to the well-known decorative artist Jan Eisenloeffel, and some 20 furniture designs for the leading furniture factory 'Nederland' of J.A. Huizinga in Groningen. Note: the oeuvre of A.R. Wittop Koning has not been (completely) inventoried. Source a.o.: Groninger Archives 15.06/1585 placement list of the archive of architect Wittop Koning Honors: Cultural award of the province for professional artists instituted by Provincial States of Groningen/1952-1953