Unexpected traces of De Stijl in Drachten

Museum Dr8888

Museum Dr8888 is located in a former monastery and owns a big collection of unique objects from these avant-garde art movements. The architect Theo van Doesburg often created comprehensive, precise and extraordinary drawings for his commissions, which are works of art in and of themselves really. Some of these drawings are on display at Museum Dr8888, such as color designs for the Papegaaienbuurt district, drawings for stained-glass windows, or the remarkable Boogschutter.

Address: Museumplein 2, Drachten

Drachten and De Stijl

The heart of the collection focuses on the brothers Evert and Thijs Rinsema. De Stijl made its way to Drachten when Evert and Thijs Rinsema moved to the city. The Rinsema Wing at Museum Dr8888 permanently displays work by the Rinsema brothers, Van Doesburg, and the German Dadaist Kurt Schwitters.

Van Doesburg-Rinsema House

You should also visit the Van Doesburg-Rinsema House, a fully renovated residence built according to De Stijl principles. In 1920, Evert Rinsema introduced the local urban architect to his friend Theo van Doesburg. Evert Rinsema and Theo van Doesburg became friends while in the army, and Van Doesburg had established De Stijl in partnership with Mondrian and Van der Leck in Leiden. Van Doesburg contributed to the design of sixteen residences around the Torenstraat. This then led to the well-known Papegaaienbuurt district. Thus, De Stijl also left its traces in Drachten.

One of these residences in the Papegaaienbuurt district can be visited today and is called the Van Doesburg-Rinsema House. It was thoroughly renovated and has become a museum residence.

Address: Torenstraat 3, Drachten

Editor’s tip

Would you like to immerse yourself further in De Stijl? Visit one of the other De Stijl cities. Discover the house in which Mondrian was born in Amersfoort and see a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Utrecht. Or admire the world’s biggest Mondrian collection in The Hague.