Rein Jansma
Architect and director of Zwarts & Jansma
Rein Jansma briefly studied biology and architecture at the TU Delft but decided that ‘making things’ was what he had to do. In 1982 he published the remarkable pop-up book ‘Stairs’ with Joost Elffers production, which has been reprinted several times since.
On one of the book sites Stairs is described: “This unique interactive book surpasses all language barriers, enriching the traditional pop-up book format with fresh, timeless imagery. Its emphasis on visual detail and its absence of text makes it a source of simple pleasure and serenity” (www.zuckerartbooks.com).
In the eighties Jansma mostly worked as artist and designer and was involved in building theatre decors in Amsterdam and Paris as well.
Around 1990, together with Moshé Zwarts, Rein Jansma founded Zwarts & Jansma architects. The company is located in Amsterdam and operates mostly in the field of public buildings and mobility throughout the Netherlands. They build soccer stadiums, railway stations, bridges, tunnels and other mobility infrastructure. In 1992 Zwarts & Jansma created the Dutch Pavilion on the world expo in Seville. Currently Zwarts & Jansma also work for the Road & Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai (expected to be finished in 2010) and are doing the renovation and enlargement of the Central Railway Station in Tbilisi in Georgia. Today Jansma is leading the office together with Reinald Top and Rob Torsing.