Nagele is an extraordinary village. Even during its construction it attracted the attention of architects, the media, the curious, visitors and other interested parties. The village was a remarkable proposal due to its spacious design, ample green spaces and flat roofed houses.
The Heritage Route will lead you through Nagele. Located in Noordoostpolder, drained in 1942 for foo…
Nagele is an extraordinary village. Even during its construction it attracted the attention of architects, the media, the curious, visitors and other interested parties. The village was a remarkable proposal due to its spacious design, ample green spaces and flat roofed houses.
The Heritage Route will lead you through Nagele. Located in Noordoostpolder, drained in 1942 for food production, Nagele is one of the villages on the polder especially built for agricultural workers. It still is a remarkable village today. It is set out entirely different from other villages on the polder. A modernist group of architects interested in 'Het Nieuwe Bouwen' (modern architecture) planned Nagele. These architects were looking for an example to present to the international congress on modern architecture. The architects requested details of what a new Noordoostpolder village would demand and were eventually appointed to build the village. The group were presented with an opportunity to realise their innovative ideas and to create an entire village from scratch.
Reactions to the design were mixed. Some simply could not live with the residential quadrangles and the houses' restrained design. On the other hand however, others were pleased with the modern facilities, the ample green areas, the space in the village and the spaciousness of the houses’ interiors.
This richly illustrated cultural history walk will lead you through the modern architecture and the green areas, providing you with a wonderful view of this modern polder village. The richly illustrated walking guide ‘Nagele. A cultural-historical walk' is for sale at Museum Nagele. The route as shown here is an indication of that route, but not exactly the same.
