During the mid-1950s a plan ripened in the mind of Hermen Molendijk, then burgomaster of Amersfoort, a plan for an exposition hall. For the town of Amersfoort was experiencing a growing need for just such a building. The Dutch government had had the architect Rietveld design a pavilion for the Biennale in Venice (1954); he had also designed space for an exhibition in Sonsbeek park in Arnhem (1954). These commissions probably caused Mr Molendijk, who was undoubtedly an admirer of Gerrit Rietveld’s creations, to hit upon the idea of resolving the acute need for exhibition space in Amersfoort – in view of these brilliant results – by having Rietveld design a building for it. He contacted Rietveld in 1956, and the two of them hatched plans. But the rebel forces, those which showed no appreciation of Rietveld’s work, were up in arms at the same time. The initially ambitious design was scaled down, partly for pecuniary reasons. Rietveld nonetheless managed to achieve a superb result.