Moerdijk and the shadow of Baker

Abstract

Moerdijk, in his formative years as architect, held Baker and his patron, Rhodes, in high regard. But in his maturity he made little, if any reference to Baker’s influence or even legacy in the making of South African architecture. It would seem a deliberate amnesia which suited his political purposes as proponent of an Afrikaner Nationalist architecture, which brought him into direct conflict with the practitioners of the Baker School, an episode of South African architectural history overshadowed by later developments.

Moerdijk, tydens sy wordingsjare as argitek, het Baker en sy beskermheer Rhodes baie hoog gestel. Maar in sy volwassenheid het hy min of selfs geen verwysing na Baker se nalatenskap in die skep van ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse argitektuur gemaak nie. Dit skyn ‘n opsetlike geheueverlies te wees wat by sy politieke doelwitte as voorstander van ‘n Afrikaner Nasionalistiese argitektuur ingepas het, en hom in direkte konflik met die beoefenaars van die Baker Skool gebring het – ‘n episode in die Suid-Afrikaanse argitektuurgeskiedenis wat deur latere verwikkelinge oorskadu is.