“The faculty building caught alight, then spread to the library and the historic chair collection - which includes Rietveld's Red and Blue chair,” Fretton said. “The fire brigade couldn't get close to it and decided to stand back and let the fire burn itself out. The whole building is gutted. The effect will be enormous - there are 3,000 students. It's a complete calamity.”

With exams being held in two months, Fretton, who is teaching next week, said he did not know where students would be taught.

“The building was actually undergoing a refurbishment at the time of the fire,” he said. “The damage is going to run into the millions.” He added that first editions of books by Koolhaas and MVRDV are now feared lost.

During the fire, a nearby student residence was evacuated and people in other buildings were warned to keep windows closed because of the heavy smoke.

A spokeswoman for Delft University said: “Although there were no personal accidents, we regret the loss of the work of staff and students and a number of collections. Delft's executive board is currently investigating at which alternative locations staff and students of the architecture faculty can be housed.”

 

 
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