G.L. van Straaten (1896-1978) Education and first years in Arnhem Gerhardus Lambertus van Straaten was born in Surabaya on March 11, 1896. Van Straaten studied at the Technische Hogeschool in Delft, where he received his degree in architectural engineering in 1923. He then worked for two years with various architects, including in The Hague. In that city in 1924 his son Gerard was born, who later became known as an illustrator. His sons Rob (1926) and Peter (1935) also studied drawing in Arnhem and became visual artists. In 1925 Van Straaten established himself as an independent architect in Arnhem. In the first years he designed several country houses, including the Maliehoeve in Velp (Gld.). This country house in the style of the Amsterdam School has a so-called 'butterfly plan' and features a very high thatched roof.(1) In the 1920s he designed several other country houses. From Engineering and Architectural Firm Schaap to Architectural Firm G.L. van Straaten From about 1930 Van Straaten worked at the Ingenieurs- en Architectenbureau Schaap. Here he became involved in drawing up regional plans for the Veluwezoom, the Achterhoek, the Neder-Betuwe, the Veluwe and the Rijk van Nijmegen. After the death of W.F.C. Schaap in 1933, he was put in charge of the office. He also took over from Schaap some functions in the Gelderland Society. Van Straaten became vice chairman of the board and also chairman of the Gelderland Beauty Commission. Both functions he handed over to others at the end of 1935. He did, however, remain involved in the various regional planning committees. Van Straaten, as Schaap's successor, continued the work on the regional plans for Gelderland.(2) In the 1930s Van Straaten designed office buildings for the Gelderland Credit Society in Zwolle, Zeist, Vaals, Utrecht, The Hague, Bilthoven, Vlissingen and Ede. Later he also worked for the Nederlandsche Handelmaatschappij, which took over the Geldersche Credietbank in 1936. In 1951, he rebuilt the office building in Tiel, which had been destroyed during World War II. Furthermore, he was the architect of extensions to the De Betuwe jam factory in Tiel and the substation of the Provinciale Geldersche Electriciteits-Maatschappij in Doetinchem (1937), among others. He also built villas and country houses in Arnhem, Tiel and Baarn.(3) In 1940, he was among the group of eight architects who produced sketch plans for the reconstruction of Wageningen. Wageningen, which had been badly damaged in the German invasion of May of that year, was rebuilt by Bouwbureau Wageningen. This bureau was headed by architect W.J. Gerretsen of the Gelders Genootschap. A. Kraayenhagen, also of the Gelders Genootschap, made the urban development plan. The Building Office was in tight control and even took care of the architectural elaboration of the sketch plans.(4) After World War II, Van Straaten was supervisor for the reconstruction of Bemmel, Elst, Gendt, Heteren and Kesteren. In the postwar years he built, among other things, the hotel Haarhuis on Stationsplein in Arnhem and the headquarters of the Gemeentespaarbank on Gele Rijdersplein in Arnhem. In the 1950s the relationship between Van Straaten and the Gelders Genootschap deteriorated. A number of municipalities instructed him to design reconstruction or expansion plans and also assigned him the supervision of building standards. The Gelderland Society objected to this double function, but had little success. The Van Straaten affair even led to two municipalities, Elst and Groenlo, leaving the society. Groenlo returned as early as 1967, but Elst did not become a member again until 1981, three years after Van Straaten's death.(5) Van Straaten developed stylistically from the Amsterdam School to the Delft School. The expressionist architecture of the Maliehoeve in Velp, with a high, compound thatched roof is a good example of his early work. The mentioned substation in Doetinchem, with its monastery-like brick architecture, is an example of the Delft School. In the 1950s, Van Straaten's architecture became tighter and more businesslike, but he continued to build in brick. This business-like traditionalism can be seen at Hotel Haarhuis in Arnhem. 1. Y. Segers, At the Crossroads of Old and New. Het Gelders Genootschap 1919-1994: 75 jaar op de bres voor de schoonheid van Gelderland, The Hague 1994, p. 27-28. J. Vredenberg, "Proud Castles and Luminous Halls. Architecture of Electricity Companies in the Netherlands until 1960, Utrecht, 2003, p. 92. 2. Y. Segers, At the Crossroads of Old and New. Het Gelders Genootschap 1919-1994: 75 jaar op de bres voor de schoonheid van Gelderland, The Hague 1994, p. 27-28. J. Vredenberg, "Proud Castles and Luminous Halls. Architecture of Electricity Companies in the Netherlands until 1960, Utrecht, 2003, p. 62, 164. 3. Y. Segers, At the Crossroads of Old and New. Het Gelders Genootschap 1919-1994: 75 jaar op de bres voor de schoonheid van Gelderland, The Hague 1994, p. 27-28. J. Vredenberg, "Proud Castles and Luminous Halls. Architecture of Electricity Companies in the Netherlands until 1960, Utrecht, 2003, p. 92. 4. Y. Segers, At the Crossroads of Old and New. Het Gelders Genootschap 1919-1994: 75 jaar op de bres voor de schoonheid van Gelderland, The Hague 1994, p. 27-28. J. Vredenberg, "Proud Castles and Luminous Halls. Architecture of Electricity Companies in the Netherlands until 1960, Utrecht, 2003, p. 124. 5. Y. Segers, At the Crossroads of Old and New. Het Gelders Genootschap 1919-1994: 75 jaar op de bres voor de schoonheid van Gelderland, The Hague 1994, p. 27-28. J. Vredenberg, "Proud Castles and Luminous Halls. Architecture of Electricity Companies in the Netherlands until 1960, Utrecht, 2003, p. 183-184. Outside activities: Gelders Genootschap/ vice-chair/1933-1935;Geldersche Schoonheidscommissie/ temporary member/1929-1930;Geldersche Schoonheidscommissie/chair/1933-1935;Geldersche Onderwijscommissie (Gelders Genootschap)/member/1933-1942;Streekplancommissie voor de Neder-Betuwe/lid/1933;Streekplancommissie voor de Veluwe/lid/1934;Streekplancommissie voor het Rijk van Nijmegen/lid/1934;Monumentencommissie Zaltbommel/lid/1933 (from)