Michel de Klerk (1884–1923) was a Dutch architect and key figure in the Amsterdam School, an expressionist movement blending sculpture, brickwork, and social housing. His most famous project, Het Schip, exemplifies his artistic, worker-oriented designs. De Klerk believed architecture should serve the public, integrating craftsmanship and ornamentation into urban planning. His buildings, with dynamic facades and imaginative detailing, challenged modernist rigidity. Despite his short career, his influence on public housing and Dutch architecture remains profound. His work reshaped early 20th-century urbanism, proving that functional housing could also be aesthetically rich and socially progressive.