Nirwana, Weesp
Weesp, Netherlands

The C.J. van Houten en Zoon cocoa powder factory in the town of Weesp (east of Amsterdam) was a family concern that was known for the social welfare for its employees. The population of Weesp grew fast in the second half of the 19th century, in part because of the rapid expansion of Van Houten. In 1897, the company therefore invited several garden architects to compete in a closed competition "concerning the design of a park with workers' houses etc. on a plot of land in the municipality of Weespercaspel about 46 hectares, bounded by the Amsterdamschen weg - Merwedekanaal - Factory terrain of the C.J. Van Houten & Zoon and lands." The assignment was "to make a clean layout and effective division, with spacious roads and avenues (as little straight as possible) for the Park."

A park village such as Van Houten had in mind was quite new for the Netherlands, with Agnetapark in Delft (built in 1884 by yeast and spirit manufacturer J.C. van Marken), and the Snouck van Loosenpark in Enkhuizen as the sole Dutch examples.

Five (garden) architects presented their plans. Hugo Poortman's winning plan included a large pond with an island equipped with rockeries and a total of 550 houses in the English Cottage Style: rustic houses, preferably with a thatched roof. A church was planned as well.

There were objections however from the polder authorities because most of the polder water would have to flow through Nirwana to reach the pumping station. The municipality of Weesp also failed to honour a commitment to provide a water main. Those within the board of Van Houten that already objected to the plans, probably used these setbacks to make sure the garden village was never executed and that the plans were shelved.