Through analysis of works by 17th-century Dutch painter Pieter de Hooch (1629–1684), the study examines how the composition of parallel walls and wall openings “frames” spatial vistas created by multiple doors and windows. Furthermore, the author uses de Hooch’'s paintings to demonstrate how 20th-century Dutch architects, such as Gerrit Rietveld and Aldo van Eyck, subtly echoed the spatial continuity created by light in Dutch painting through their arrangements of spatial depth, transparency, and perceived distance in their works. Through the open doorways, windows, and balconies depicted in the paintings, public urban street scenes and the diverse activities of indoor life interweave within a series of framed vistas, connecting domestic and urban living spaces spanning centuries.
The authors, Flores and Prats, established Flores & Prats Arquitectes, a significant contemporary Spanish architectural practice. They emerged from the studio of Spanish architect Enric Miralles (1955–2000) and have taught at the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB) and ETH Zurich. In September 2004, they were invited to the University of New South Wales in Sydney (UNSW, Sydney) to lead a residential design workshop for architecture students. Much like many historically significant architectural publications stem from edited workshop outcomes, this book is organized into three parts: “De Hooch’s Rooms” introduces the theme; “Through the Canvas: A Theme for an Exercise” not only collects the students’ workshop projects but also includes various drafts and preliminary research; and “Epilogue” features commentary from professors and architects who participated in the final discussions, comprehensively documenting the workshop’s journey from conceptualization and problem-setting, through design development, to the concluding deliberations.
“This is both Home and City.” As early as 2002, Flores & Prats Arquitectes attempted to explore to this spatial concept in the “Providència House” project—drawing inspiration from and exploring traditional residential spaces through painting. This approach evolved into broader and deeper reflections during the aforementioned workshop, culminating in the publication of this book in 2008.
