(Bonas Essay by I. Keessen; abridged version) Joost Willemse Cornelis Boks was born in Rotterdam on December 30, 1904. After elementary school, he attended a five-year course at the H.B.S. in Rotterdam from 1918 to 1924, and then studied at the Technische Hogeschool in Delft. In 1931 he obtained his degree in structural engineering, graduating from M.J. Granpré Molière with a design in modernist style. After his studies, Boks began working as a draftsman for W. Van Tijen. After a few months he left because he did not agree that as a beginning architect he had nothing to contribute. Nor could Boks find another job to his liking, so in 1932 he founded his own firm in Rotterdam. Although Boks never really expressed in public his views on the direction the reconstruction should take, during the war he was a member of the Rotterdam Bijgroep Rotterdam of the Studiegroep Woningarchitectuur. This group consisted of a number of architects including W. van Tijen, H.A. Maaskant and J.H. van den Broek. The Rotterdam Bijgroep drew up guidelines for housing options in the future Rotterdam and opposed the architectural and urban planning stagnation of the reconstruction. Because Boks had already been included in Rotterdam circles before World War II, he received several commissions after the war. After the war, Boks received his first major commission, designing the Bouwcentrum. This commission put him on the map nationally and internationally as an architect. The first phase of the Bouwcentrum Already during the war, the Union of Dutch Architects (B.N.A.) and Cencobouw decided to establish the construction center. The construction center should serve as "a center of objective information regarding advancing building technology. The goal was to provide objective information in the field of construction. Both professionals and interested parties would be able to come here for exhibitions and information about building and living. In 1946, the construction center was officially established. Joost Boks was commissioned to design the building. The two requirements Boks was given for the building center were: - As much austerity as possible and - It had to be a representative building for the Dutch building industry and its possibilities. The building "had to be a manifestation of what is going on in the Dutch construction world and a pure reflection of the goal, which the Building Center Foundation aims to achieve. The construction center was festively opened on May 18, 1949. The Boks architectural firm after World War II. From 1947, Boks has his office in Rotterdam. In 1951, Wout Eijkelenboom (1924) and Bram Middelhoek (1923) join the firm as draftsmen. They had yet to complete most of their architectural training. Boks encourages them to finish their education at the Academy for Higher Architecture Education in Amsterdam. Despite the fact that Eijkelenboom and Middelhoek are still studying, Boks gives the draftsmen a lot of freedom right from the start. They are allowed to consult with clients and work out their own personal visions. This fact fits well with Boks' wish that draftsmen should be collaborators rather than assistants of the architect. The second phase of the building center As early as 1950, the first rumors of an expansion of the building center's existing building began. In 1956, Boks was commissioned to do this. However, an expansion of the building was not so easy. When designing the existing building, no account was taken of a possible extension and a circular shape is difficult to expand. After many studies, a solution was found. The extension would consist of a new rectangular building, with horizontal main lines, which would be connected to the old building by a wide connector. The extension had a significant influence on the old building. The architectural firm of Boks, Eijkelenboom and Middelhoek In 1958, Boks entered into a partnership with architects Wout Eijkelenboom and Bram Middelhoek. By then they had been working at the Boks firm for a few years and had completed their education. The firm is very productive during these years. By then Boks is 54 years old and he leaves more to the young architects. Eijkelenboom and Middelhoek now also receive commissions independently, although these are still often carried out in collaboration with Boks. Boks as advising architect Starting in 1962, Boks' health began to deteriorate, he became forgetful. Later it was discovered that he had Parkinson's disease. Eijkelenboom and Middelhoek fear that Boks' illness will lead to the loss of clients. For this reason, in 1964 they appeal heavily to him to withdraw from the partnership. In early 1965, this is formally settled. Boks is then involved in the firm only as an advisory architect. Eijkelenboom and Middelhoek kept him informed of the course of business and also occasionally showed him projects, Boks often gave good comments on these which they did use. The style of Boks Boks' style is best characterized as moderately modernist. Boks was not among the traditionalists, but neither can he be considered a new builder. Boks never got involved in the discussion between the traditionalists and the new builders. He did consider himself more among the modern architects. Traditionalist architecture harked back to traditional and regional architecture and the brick architecture of the 1800s. Their buildings evoked an image of craftsmanship. In contrast, the architects of the new building did not return to anything. They made use of new possibilities and modern materials such as steel and (reinforced) concrete. For the new builders, it was not the form of a building that was most important, but its function. A building's function determined its final form. Boks graduated from the father of traditionalists Granpré Molière. Although Boks found Granpré Molière's work too traditional, he did adopt elements of his style. After graduating, Boks worked for a few months as a draftsman for the new builder van Tijen. Because Boks was influenced by both a traditionalist and a new builder, it is not surprising that he combines elements of both styles in his own work. Boks' style can therefore also be characterized as so-called shake-hand architecture. This is a compromise between the traditionalist style and the style of the new builders. Boks often wanted to create a total design with his buildings. This means that he designed not only the building itself, but also the interior, sometimes even down to the clothing of the maids. Boks' interiors are in the service of the building itself; they are designed to do the building as much justice as possible. The architect as artist Boks never really expressed his views on architecture. It is known, however, that he shared the traditionalists' view that the architect is also an artist. He believes that architects should take the time to properly perform their work as artists. According to Boks, the architect works as an artist when designing and executing a building. If the concern for new work will change to the concern for good work, Boks believes the standard of everything built will rise both aesthetically and technically. In conclusion In 1965, Boks retired from the partnership because he had Parkinson's disease. He no longer built anything himself. Despite his illness, Boks did grow old. He died on Dec. 25, 1986, at the age of 82. Boks himself felt that the Construction Center was his most successful work. Education: TH Delft/1922-1931 Additional positions: Architecture Department Practical Study/president/1930;Kring Rotterdam van den Bond van Nederlandsche Architecten/chairman/1950;Rijksadviescommissie monumentale kunsten/member/1963