Left: portrait of Ben Merkelbach. Photograph: NAI Collection, MERK f29

Not all archives that the NAI acquires for its collection are complete. Sometimes they are small, incomplete dossiers with a variety of material given by beneficiaries who are literally 'cleaning house'. This can produce surprising finds such as a speech given by architect Ben Merkelbach (1901-1961) recorded on a gramophone record 'that you must play from the inside out'.

Connections
Due to illness, Merkelbach was unable to attend the opening of a factory in Amsterdam that he designed together with his partner Charles Karsten in 1939 for the Hartmann bros. company, Graficolor N.V. A few years before, in 1936, they had built the AVRO studios in Hilversum, their first company building and most famous work. His connections at the broadcasting corporation made it possible for Merkelbach to have his speech recorded on a gramophone record, which was played at the opening. The AVRO also gave speakers who did attend, such as the head contractor and the client, the opportunity to record a message for the recovering Merkelbach.


_{> The company building for Graficolor on Van Hallstraat in Amsterdam. Photograph: the 8 and Opbouw.}

Organiser
Merkelbach was an idealist: he believed it was possible to improve people's living conditions through architecture. He was particularly interested in company buildings and public housing because it was in those areas that people's quality of life could be improved. Just designing them was not enough; he often went public in discussion groups and organisations. He was founder of the architects' association '8' and a member of the Dutch delegation to CIAM (Congrès Internationaux d'architecture moderne). Merkelbach was at his best when collaborating with others, where he took upon himself the role of organiser and negotiator. C. van Eesteren once said about Merkelbach's designs, 'The building came about in the conversation with the client, he structuralised. He was not a drawing table type." (from: Ben Merkelbach, city architect / Ben Rebel)




_{> Graficolor's interior. Above the offices on the ground floor, below the workshop. Merkelbach often worked together with photographer Eva Besnyö, whose workshop was on Keizersgracht, not far from the offices of Merkelbach and Karsten. Photograph: Eva Besnyö. NAI Collection, MELK Archives f13. Copyright Maria Austria Instituut.}

Exhibition
The NAI acquired the four gramophone records through the mediation of Arcam director Maarten Kloos. In 1994, he organised an exhibition at the Amsterdam architecture centre on Ben Merkelbach as city architect of Amsterdam. Merkelbach's stepdaughter, Mrs Cecilia Van Vliet-Lichtveld, donated letters, photographs, documents and other materials that would be interesting to show in the exhibition, including these gramophone records.

Architect-client relationship
This acquisition is of interest to the NAI collection for several reasons. The audio fragments present an embodiment of a well-nigh perfect architect-client relationship ('I would never have imagined that you wouldn't be here on this day'). The lengths to which Merkelbach went to address those present despite everything is evidence of his commitment to the project, and his words refer to an intensive and pleasant collaboration. The final chorus of 'Get well soon!' is the moving proof. Above all, the speeches support the assumption that Merkelbach was more the organiser, negotiator and initiator and Karsten the designer.

Office files
This acquisition complements materials pertaining to Merkelbach already in the collection: Merkelbach's personal files as well as those of the Merkelbach and Karsten architect's office (later Merkelbach and Elling). These include drawings and photographs of Graficolor and written documents such as correspondence with contractors, suppliers and clients. The speeches at the building's opening add information, and, moreover, colour to this paper archive.

In "De 8 en Opbouw", A. Elzas wrote an article on the Graficolor printing ink factory. Designing a factory was no easy feat in his view. "Today's overly complicated factory is difficult to take in, demands are too great, the building programme is often impossibly overloaded and the building site is sometimes unsuited. [..] moreover, it appears to be becoming a rule that, despite himself, the client sees the architect as some kind of juggler who will do the impossible without a blink." (8 en Opbouw (1940) 5, p. 42)

Download Speech by Ben Merkelbach (Dutch, fragment, MP3, 2:47 min., 2,6 Mb)

Download Speech by Mr. Hofmans, the client (Dutch, MP3, 2:52 min., 2 Mb)

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