False Flat: Why Dutch Design Is so Good

by Aaron Betsky, Adam Eeuwens

An extensive and timely survey of innovative contemporary design in the Netherlands: always verging on the experimental and universally recognized as a melting pot of cutting-edge twenty-first-century creativity. This overview features work by Rem Koolhaas, MVRDV, Ben van Berkel & Caroline Bos, Marcel Wanders, Petra Blaisse, and Jop van Bennekom, among others. One thousand  images offer a visual sourcebook of Dutch design in all forms, including architecture, urban planning, industrial design, and graphic design.

Genres: Design, Architecture, Nonfiction, Art, Reference

400 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Aaron Betsky is an American critic on art, architecture and design. He was the director of Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design until early 2022.
Trained as an architect and in the humanities at Yale University, he is the author of over a dozen books, including Architecture Matters, Making It Modern, Landscrapers: Building With the Land, Scanning: The Aberrant Architectures of Diller + Scofidio, Queer Space, Revelatory Landscapes, and Architecture Must Burn. Internationally known as a lecturer, curator, reviewer and commentator, he writes the blog "Beyond Buildings" for Architect Magazine. Director of the 11th Venice Architecture Biennale, he has also been president and Dean of the School of Architecture at Taliesin (originally the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture), director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute (2001-2006) the Cincinnati Art Museum (2006-2014), and was founding Curator of Architecture, Design and Digital Projects at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (1995-2001). As an unlicensed architect, he worked for Frank O. Gehry and Associates and Hodgetts + Fung. In 2003, he co-curated "Scanning: The Aberrant Architectures of Diller + Scofidio" at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Reviews

[Nancy Schober · Rating 2 out of 5]

this has been on my wish-list for some time since I became obsessed with Irma Boom's design.

Since there is no choice of 'abandoned' or 'couldn't finish' I'm marking this 'read' to get it off of my 'currently reading list'.

I'm finding the language a bit pompous and overblown which makes it very difficult for me to get to the real meaning of the 'flowery, purple' prose

[R.Friend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well-designed book that presents an amazing range of Dutch design. Great focus on graphic design, of course, but touches on products and architecture as well.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Casual overview on the Dutch philosophy of design and architecture. Not much explaining why Dutch design is "so good".

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice read and I would recommend for anyone who loves architecture, architectural history, travel and European design. The Dutch have always been great engineers and designers; this books walks you through Dutch history from an architect / designer's point of view. The imagery is exotic and enticing and is accompanied by some great narrative. It was a very refreshing read!

[Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about Dutch design. Designed by super-genius, Dutch designer Irma Boom.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

book is well put together but few lasting impressions

[Vanlilith]

architettura&arte

[Dave Schroeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are only two things I can't stand in this world: People who are intolerant of other people's cultures, and the Dutch.