It's such an honour to be featured in this Italian magazine Living Corriere amongst these designers. Thank you Dieter Van Den Storm for the interview and Mattia Zoppellaro photography for the photo! ♡♡
Translation:
DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
The city of Antwerp has been investing a lot in contemporary architecture the last couple of years, knowing it would attract another audience then the fashion crowd. When walking through the city one can take a walk through different periods and discover all kinds of architecture. Wander away in the Cogels Osylei, an impressive street with eclectic architectural beauties all built between 1894 and 1908. When walking along the river Scheldt, one can rediscover the black and white architecture of the eighties of architect Bob Van Reeth. And the Flanders Architecture Institute is situated in a new building of Stéphane Beel Architects and regularly shows the best of the best Flanders has to offer on contemporary architecture. Architecture as city marketing wouldn’t be at its best though, when the city wouldn’t have attracted some international names to strengthen its exposure. Ten years ago the new law court was built, following a competition won by the British architect Richard Rogers. The striking roof structure soon became a landmark, referring to the ships sailing in and out of the Antwerp port. The new Port House, which is being completed at the moment, was designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid. The futuristic shaped building, referring to Antwerp’s diamond sector, will be overlooking both the city and the harbour.
Also in the field of design Antwerp has a lot to offer, attracting all kinds of creative minds. Florist Mark Colle might not ring a bell, though he has been attracted by fashion designers such as Raf Simons, Dries Van Noten and Viktor & Rolf to decorate their shows. He is a floral mastermind and is one of the most sought-after individual florists at the moment. His floral arrangements can be discovered in the heart of the city. Another talent putting Antwerp on the map is graphic designer Stephanie Specht. This year she was named in the top 3 list of promising designers Flanders Style in Monocle’s The Forecast. «I lived in New York for a while, but I soon realised I couldn’t survive there. The city distracted me too much», recalls Stephanie Specht while asking for her love for Antwerp. «Here I am more in balance. The music scene inspires me a lot, whether it’s for my free work or my work for editors as Rizzoli». Jewellery store Muhjo and the book shop Buchbar both have logos designed by this 34 old year designer. «Weirdly enough, I never worked for the city of Antwerp», tells industrial designer Stefan Schöning. «I have been working for different cities designing public spaces or outdoor furniture, but never for my hometown». The 48 year old designer who has been working for international companies such as Fiam Italia, Jongform and Indera, is devoted to the city he calls his. «I think the pop up concept was conceived in Antwerp, as there’s always something new to discover. Hot and trendy places come and go, as there always the urge to innovate and launch new projects»