De Stijl is a Dutch art and design movement founded in 1917 that emphasizes universal concepts through abstraction, simplification, and the use of primary colors. The movement aimed for harmony in artistic expression and integrated architecture, sculpture, and painting. It declined following the death of its leader, Theo van Doesburg, with its architectural features including flat roofs and geometric forms highlighting the spatial relationships of solids and voids.

1. De stijl
Submitted by : Shweta Saini
-Jamia millia islamia

2. De Stijl - ”The style “
- Dutch art and design movement founded by painters and
architects in 1917 in leiden.
- The movement strives to express universal concepts through
elimination, reduction, abstraction, simplification, and a dynamic
asymmetrical balance of rectangles, planes, verticals, horizontals,
the primary colors, and black, white, and gray.
- Not to reflect reality but rather than to express harmony that they
believed was the law of universe.
- Paintings were never framed as they were believed to be intimate
part of the world.
- Their goal : the organic combination of architecture , sculpture
and painting in a lucid, elemental , unsentimental construction.
De stijl magazine first front cover.
-1917 vilmos huszar.
● This longing for harmony
developed in chaotic times of
WW1.

3. .
1917
● Doesburg with the
cooperation of
piet mondrian ,
JJP Oud , vilmos
huszar & van der
leck resulted in
foundation of De
Stijl 1918
● Gerrit rietveld joined the
group but van der leck left
due to artistic differences of
opinion.
● Manifesto of De stijl.
1923
● Study of apartment
buiding , Theovan
doesburg
1924
● Doesburg split up
with piet due to
disagreements.
● Schroder house
1925
● Cafe De unie ,
J.J.P Oud
1931
● Leader and founder of
movement - Theovan
doesburg died which
led to the end of
movement.
Timeline

4. Architectural Characteristic features :
1. Flat roof, asymmetry, geometric forms, white or gray
walls with details highlighted by primary colors.
2. Compositions generally emphasize the separation of
planes, the application of primary colors, and the spatial
relationship of solids to voids.
3. Rectangular shapes define the geometric repetition of
windows, doors, and blocks of color.
4. Window sizes vary on an individual building from large
to small. They may be arranged in patterns or one unit on a
large wall.
5. Flat roofs are typical, and distinctly different from other
structures.
Facade of cafe De Unie showing decorative art.
Henny house , robert vent hoff.
Designers formulate a new language for architecture.
To do this they take a traditional house apart , analyze it like an
object , abstract it to eliminate traditional references and then
reassemble it in a new way.

5. Exterior view of Rietveld schroder house -The
only building realised completely according to
the principles of De Stijl.
Interior of Cafe aubette strasboug , france ,
Theo van doesburg showing decorative art
Examples of De stijl

6. Furniture:
● Furniture and decorative arts are conceived as one with the architecture and
● interior design. Designers similarly emphasize structure, construction, proportion, and the balance
between solid and void relationships.
● They carefully place individual parts to develop visual balance and harmony so that all parts are
appreciated alone as well as in context with the whole furniture piece.
● Chairs and tables are the most important conveyors of concepts.
● Furniture complements the architectonic character of an interior through its emphasis on straight
lines, rectangular planes, and geometric forms.
Rietvald sideboard Red blue chair
Zig zag chair
Rietvald
chair
Red and blue chair ,
side table and bed

7. De stijl now a days
Rubik cube BQ code Windows logo
Technological screens
Pixel - tiny square which
forms every picture
The fact of simplifying things into pure abstraction of little square in
such a powerful idea that even the newest things of our days uses it as a
main reference.

8. Thank you