Algimamutas

life in a tower on a fjord 2015 summer D

“Prašome neužstatyti vartu” pasakė medžiams #Kaunas #nematomarchitektura

E. Miliunas studio - Parish house [2009, Kaunas, Lithuania]

vilnius gediminas technical university / senate hall //

/ by asa-arch.lt //

Gent, BE: José van Hee + Robbrecht&Daem on 24 Jan 2014

After Christmas break I am continuing the series about Belgian architects, that I believe deserve more attention.

Peter Andrew Campbell Callebout (1916-1970) was an important modernist architect of British origin. He was born in London to his Belgian father sculptor (later chairman of the Belgian Association of Architects) and mother carpet-weaver. After First World War Pater Campbell returned with his family to Bruges. 

Belgium made Peter Callebout large, but also broke him down. His architecture seems to be inspired by Mies Van Der Rohe and F. L. Wright - horizontal lines, simple and straightforward composition, which was not fully acknowledged at its time. Often Peter Callebout connected the landscape with the house by low long walls, also prioritising wood for exterior instead of bare concrete.  

Peter Callebout (1) 

Peter Callebout (2)

Peter Callebout (3)

This is a second post in the series about Belgian architects, who to my mind deserve more attention.

This time I present you Juliaan Lampens - who was born and lived near/in Ghent, medieval Belgian town. Juliaan was very young when he established an architectural practice (in 1950, being 24). Right on he started working on commissions for local clients. 

While Paris has an Eiffel tower, Belgium’s capital can boast about Atomium. This monument is a living reminder of World Exposition in Brussels at 1958. Inside Atomium’s museum, one can actually learn more about prominence and vast scale of show off at Expo 58’. What I am leading to - Juliaan Lampens visited the fair too. He was 32.

Only seeing drawings of leading architecture at school presumably does not make/enable an inventive/innovative architect. Neither practice - prior to Expo 58’ Lampens have been designing modest Arts and Crafts houses in Flanders. What does - is the event - the experience of real modern architecture - built work - like that of Xenakis/Corbusier Phillips pavillion or a Civil Engineering Arrow. 

Juliaan Lampens affirmed in his own words: “Every healthy Belgian visited the World’s Fair. It was due in part to the world expo of modern architectural styles that such work became accepted and established in Belgium." 

Thus only a grand event like Expo 58’ enabled Juliaan to go on with a bold modernist design of his own house in a plot of town Eke. Flat suspended roof of raw concrete, thin wooden frames and big areas of glass made the design modern - unseen before in Flanders. 

Another project is for chapel in Edelare - where concrete meets nature. Julian Lampens admitted influence to his works from WWII bunkers on French/Belgian coast.

To sum up Juliaan Lampens is an undiscovered architect for the most outside of Belgium. So please refer to a monograph on his work here where one can stumble upon more beautiful pictures. The designs seem stark and brave, but of course they are selected. The monograph states about 40 built designs, but to my knowledge there are at least twice as much built houses in Belgium.

Leading architectural practice, testing his ideas, looking for ideal client, teaching at architecture school - all takes effort and time to deliver this substantial and fresh architecture. Julian Lampens collected and filtered experiences, enhancing them through academic exchange to become a very important influence for other Belgian architects. 

In the following ten posts I am presenting a series of Belgian architects that to my mind are underestimated in the international scene. 

Also I bear a personal fascination for ‘Belgian flair’ thus it seems logical to talk about them more.

#1 bOb van Reeth is a post-war Belgian architect with a rebellious spirit also manifested in his chimney-brush-type-beard. His and Luc Deleu’s academic projects posed challenge to the architectural audience. Despite tormented career path bOb became the very first Flemish Government Architect (1999-2005). This is very innovative compared to other countries like UK where RIBA is too big and rather sluggish to curate quality of new public buildings. In short FGA worked humbly to make only very good designs being built, in some cases by very young architects. 

The first photograph here is by Stijn Bollaert. It is a most recent design lead by bOb van Reeth - Museum and Memorial of Holocaust and Human Rights in Mechelen [BE]. 

This design sums up typical quality Belgian design - humble form, truthful material expression and somewhat quirky detail - like that of an all-round running balcony on the top floor. For me its like drinking a refreshing soft drink in a dull tea room of contemporary architectural designs.

Everything is Oblique [Georgia, 2008]