Architect · United States · 1929-2019
Peter van Dijk Biography and Buildings
Dutch-born American architect (1929-2019) of the Blossom Music Center in Ohio, the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Image: Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Valley, from the ArchEyes article
Biography
Peter van Dijk (1929-2019) was an American architect, born in the Dutch East Indies, who spent most of his career in Cleveland. A former assistant of Eero Saarinen, he is best known for the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra, whose great shell-like roof opens onto a sloping lawn.
From Surabaya to Saarinen
Van Dijk was born in Surabaya in 1929 to a Dutch family. He studied engineering at Cornell, architecture at the University of Oregon and at MIT, and worked for four years in the office of Eero Saarinen.
Cleveland
In 1963 he joined Schafer, Flynn and Associates in Cleveland, later Schafer, Flynn, van Dijk. His works include the Celebrezze Federal Building (1966), the Blossom Music Center (1968), the conversion of the Akron Art Museum and the renovation of Blossom in 2013. He received the AIA Ohio Gold Medal in 2000 and died in Cleveland Heights in 2019.
Timeline
- 1929Born on 13 February in Surabaya.
- 1953Settles in the United States.
- 1963Joins Schafer, Flynn and Associates in Cleveland.
- 1968Blossom Music Center opens.
- 2000Receives the AIA Ohio Gold Medal.
- 2019Dies on 7 September in Cleveland Heights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Peter van Dijk known for?
Peter van Dijk is known for the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Did Peter van Dijk work with Eero Saarinen?
Yes. He worked in Saarinen’s office for four years before moving to Cleveland.
When did the Blossom Music Center open?
It opened in 1968.
