by Evi Mibelli.
Vincent Van Duysen is considered one of the most influential architects of his generation. He was born in Lokeren, Belgium, on April 21, 1962. He studied architecture in Ghent, where he graduated, and joined the studio of Aldo Cibic, who worked closely with Sottsass Associati, in 1987. The colorful language of Memphis and Alchimia, and their postmodern symbolic charge, fascinated the young Van Duysen, yet his idea of architecture immediately took on a completely different dimension.
He loves Italy, its history, art, architecture, the great masters of design, and its lifestyle. He's a frequent visitor to the Bel Paese, building strong friendships and working relationships.
Vincent Van Duysen in his studio in Antwerp where he employs a team of 20 collaborators
In 1990 he opened his own studio in Antwerp, dealing mainly with residential architecture.
“ For me, home is a place where I can forget the frenzy of everyday life, made up of commitments, travel, meetings, and work. When we return home, we long for rest, quiet, and serenity. We seek welcoming, warm spaces. Ever since I was a young architect, I've been drawn to homes, the private spaces where people live. For me, it's important to understand how people move around their homes, what their intimate needs and desires are, and how they think .”
In this attention to human "feeling" we find something very particular, which makes his mark unmistakable : it is the balance between what could be a universal archetype made of geometries, materials, volumes and an identity attributable to its own history of influences and memories.
Detail of the living room of Vincent Van Duysen's house in Antwerp. The ceilings reach 4,30 meters. The rough-finished plaster walls are bone-colored, and the floors are light wood, covered with wool rugs. The furnishings are diverse, including original pieces by Pierre Jeanneret. The living room overlooks the outdoor patio (photograph – House of Molteni, Molteni&C).
The outdoor patio (photograph – House of Molteni by Molteni&C)
Something that links him to his Flemish origins, to the light of these places, to the magnificent painting that gave snapshots, at the tip of the brush, of the secular interiors of industrious merchants who marked the cosmopolitan history and the wealth of this corner of Europe.
It's clear when visiting Antwerp—a true gem of a Hanseatic city, a crossroads of cultural exchange and coexistence—even more so when you spy the interiors of Vincent Van Duysen's home. Just like those of his clients. Everything revolves around light , structure, the idea of comfort, and space. Through a progressive subtraction of elements, until a distillation is obtained that is the essence and purity, but also the richness, color, and sensuality of memory.
In fact, he creates timeless spaces. A sort of, as he himself defines, visual silence that pacifies the heart and mind. There's nothing of superficial minimalism about it. His spaces, on the contrary, are dense. Simple, refined, at times Calvinist interiors, but without the privative connotations the parallel might suggest.
Overview of the living room of Vincent Van Duysen's house in Antwerp. Photo by Manolo Yllera
“ One of my inspirations is Jean Paul Frank. His interiors were perfect, beautiful, sumptuously minimal, playing on a few materials, magnificently combined. He eliminated excess to create a suspended atmosphere of calm and quiet. He is very close to my design sensibility. Ultimately, it all comes down to understanding what elements we truly need to live well. There is no need for who knows what materials, objects, or colors. Colors come to us from the life that surrounds us, from the materials we come into contact with, from light .”
For Vincent Van Duysen, light plays a fundamental role, as does the use of color and texture. The juxtapositions underscore an absolute mastery of both compositional and spatial dimensions, as well as sensorial ones.
" There is always a desire to unite the traditional idea of a home, its essence, overcoming stereotypes and recomposing it in a new and contemporary way ." What must remain intact is the identity, that genius loci that places it in a unique geo-cultural context, defining its profound soul and, at the same time, representing "who we are" through the space built around our intimacy, our privacy.
Infra-structure track lighting designed for Flos, 2016
An important factor in his approach to the project emerges: scale. He has a tightrope-walking ability to move from macro to micro , and back again, with a coherence that could be described as mathematical, bordering on asceticism.
" For me, architecture truly encompasses everything: from the doorknob to the construction materials, from the tableware to the textiles... to Nature, which is part of the landscape and an osmotic filter between inside and outside. And vice versa. The skill lies in maintaining the ability to clearly interpret everything that contributes to its definition, regardless of scale. The focal point is always understanding people and their experiences, ultimately delivering a physical space that respects their intimate expectations of self-representation. The spaces, seen from the outside, appear simple but are the result of a high level of detail and complexity ."
VVD kitchen designed for Dada, 2016
Its relationship with design is, therefore, an integral part of a concept, of a universal language that places man and his relationship with space, nature, and the senses at the center.
" Functionality, comfort, durability, sustainability... My design approach encompasses all aspects of design, respecting context and tradition. The senses and the physical experience of a space, or contact with objects, materials, and light, place humans at the fulcrum around which to build living. My project is 'organic.' We should cultivate greater awareness of the importance of the quality and beauty of good design. Craftsmanship must also be valued, along with the great opportunities offered by technologies that ensure innovative performance for objects and furnishings ."
On the left, garden armchair from the Pablo collection by B&B Outdoor, 2022. On the right, three-seater fabric sofa Cousy, designed for Arflex, 2006
All his projects are connected by a single thread: the use of pure, tactile materials, highlighting their natural beauty. Stone, wood, concrete, earth: nature plays a fundamental role in the perception of spaces. And even of objects.
A prime example is the house built in Melides, Portugal, where the architecture is spare, crystalline in its proportions and volumes, in perfect harmony with the landscape and the expansive horizon stretching out to the Atlantic Ocean. The relationship between inside and out is symbiotic. Nature is like a living painting.
House M, in Melides, Portugal. 2019-2020. (Photo from Salone del Mobile, Milan)
It goes without saying that Vincenti Van Duysen has deservedly achieved international prominence, earning him numerous awards and collaborations with leading design firms. He has designed for B&B, Fantini, Olivari, Kettel, Arflex, Sahco, Hermann Miller, Flos, Poliform, Paola Lenti, Serax, and many others.
He has been the subject of monographs dedicated to him, as well as the recipient of prestigious awards, including the Flemish Culture Award for Design, the Henry Van de Velde Award for Lifetime Achievement, in 2019. As an architect, he has worked all over the world for private clients, commercial brands, and trade fair installations.
Three-hole faucet designed for Fantini, Icona Classic and Icona Deco Collections, 2016
Since 2016, he has been the art director of Molteni & C and Dada, a collaboration that has seen him responsible for curating the global image through the design of single-brand stores (including the New York flagship store on Madison Avenue), trade fair stands, and new collections.
“ Most of my interlocutors have always been attracted to my work as an architect. And that's what happened with Molteni. The first product I designed was the Paul sofa. Simple and linear, but revisited in terms of size, focusing on details. The result was a successful product due to its apparent and sophisticated elegance. I'm not a designer for design's sake. I hate the word 'trend,' and I think Paul embodies precisely this refusal of mine to create a trend. I always aim for purity and essence in everything I do, whether it's an object or a piece of architecture .”
This is the aspect that emerges throughout his work: the inextricable bond with architecture. Whether he's working on furniture, objects, or lighting.
Paul three-seater sofa, designed for Molteni&C, 2016
On the cover, Vincent Van Duysen (House of Molteni, by Molteni&C)
