1 | What does your house represent to you?

A sanctuary, my home is my sanctuary.

2 | Who chose the furniture?

I chose all the furniture.
There are also items that I designed for Molteni&C which feature the elegance that is part of my vision.
When we placed them in my house, I immediately understood that we had managed to blend my own vision and that of the company perfectly.
Yesterday, while I was wandering round the house, I looked at them and thought: yes, these are pieces that I designed for Molteni&C, it’s as if they had always been here, while they are pieces that we have developed in the last couple of years and that gave me a sense of great satisfaction, knowing that it is the right direction.

3 | Any works of art at home?

I love all my artworks because each one has its own story and they all communicate with each other. I chose them personally and admire these artists.

5 | Open Space or separate rooms?

I love open-plan but I like separate rooms too.

7 | Design and fashion, similarities and differences

I dislike the name design or fashion; I don’t really like defining these spheres too precisely. I’m not one for rules, I’m very intuitive and everything I do is dictated by intuition.

8 | Bath tub or shower?

I prefer having a bath, I like floating in water.

9 | Home cooking or restaurant?

I prefer eating at home when I can, because my work involves a lot of travelling and I often find myself eating in restaurants.

10 | Where would you like to live?

I really like living in Antwerp, it’s one of Belgium’s finest cities, where so much has happened in the country’s history. It is also one of Europe’s largest ports, it attracts a lot of foreigners and there is always something going on. We have also had some great artists here, in the past, painters like Rubens. But right now I am also building myself a holiday home in Portugal because I’d like to live in a place close to the Atlantic Ocean, in synergy with Nature.

Antwerp city guide

St. Anna's Tunnel | Pedestrians' Tunnel
Sint-Jansvliet 2000 Antwerp

The tunnel opened in 1933 and connects the right with the left bank. Vincent loves the fact that it is completely tiled and that the authentic wooden escalators are still functioning.
On the left bank, he enjoys the fantastic panoramic view on the skyline of Antwerp.

Botanical Garden
Leopoldstraat 25 2000 Antwerp

In the heart of Antwerp, close to Vincent’s private home, you can find a small green oasis. Initially it was the garden of medicinal plants of the neighboring St. Elisabeth Hospital. Vincent especially appreciates its colonnade.

Vincent Van Duysen

Vincent Van Duysen was born in Lokeren, Belgium, in 1962, and undertook a degree in Architecture at the Higher Institute of Architecture Sint-Lucas, Ghent. Between 1986 and 1989 Van Duysen worked in Milan and Brussels, after which, in 1990, he opened his own studio in Antwerp concentrating on architecture and interiors. A strong relationship exists between Van Duysen’s designs and architectural projects – he develops furniture and objects with an architectural perspective – creating spatial relations rather than shapes. A rescaled interpretation of the architectural work, Van Duysen creates pieces that afford a purity and essentialism yet remain tactile and grounded. Vincent Van Duysen Architects is currently active with numerous works, including their first hotel project, in Belgium as well as an increased focus on significant international projects including residential works in London, New York, and Milan, offices in Beirut and Riyadh, and high-end commercial fitouts in Paris, Rome, and Hong Kong.

Credits

Photographer Frederik Vercruysse