Hoff, Robert van't (1887–1979). Dutch architect. He studied in England, where he was first influenced by the Arts-and-Crafts Movement, by the Glasgow School, Lethaby, and then by more avant-garde ideas. His first realized designs were a house and studio for Augustus John (1878–1961) at 28 Mallord Street, Chelsea, London (1913–14), and Løvdalla, Huis ter Heide, near Utrecht (1911). He visited the USA in 1914, where he saw buildings by F. L. Wright, notably the Unity Temple and various houses at Oak Park, Chicago, IL. On his return to Europe the influence of Wright is clear in van't Hoff's summer-house for J. N. Verloop (1914) and the villa for A. B. Henny (1915–19), both at Huis ter Heide: the latter established the Dutch architect's reputation. From 1917 van't Hoff was closely associated with De Stijl, giving the movement monetary help and contributing articles to the journal De Stijl. In 1918 he became a Communist, and believed that the architectural/artistic avantgarde would unite with the proletariat to bring about revolution and some kind of improbable artistic paradise. When the great revolution failed to occur, he abandoned De Stijl, and in 1933 settled in England with a commune of anarchists. He died in Hants.

Bibliography

Bouw, xii (1979), 6–8, xiii (1979), 17–23;
De Stijl, i/5 (1918), 57–9, i/6 (1918), 71–2, ii/3 (1919), 31–2, ii/4 (1919), 40–2, ii/5 (1919), 54–5, ii/10 (1919), 114–6;
Fanelli (1968);
Jaffé (1956);
Rijksmuseum (1975);
Zevi (1974)

van't Hoff, Robert (1887–1979). See hoff.