Zonnestraal Sanatorium: The History and Restoration of a Modern Monument

Designed by architects Jan Duiker and Bernard Bijvoet in 1925, the former Zonnestraal Sanatorium is an icon of the Nieuwe Bouwen style, the Dutch branch of the International Style of modernism: as one of the genuine highlights of twentieth-century architecture, it has been considered for the UNESCO World Heritage List. The complex, whose name means "ray of sunshine," was originally created as a treatment center for tuberculosis patients. By the early 1960s, the buildings, which had been constructed for limited use in concrete, steel and glass, were in ruin. After four decades of research and planning, its restoration is nearing completion under the supervision of the architects Hubert-Jan Henket and Wessel de Jonge. This publication traces the former sanatorium's past, emphasizing the battle for recognition of the Zonnestraal site's importance, its complex restoration process and providing a critical dossier on the general management of modern monuments.