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P R O F I L E | V I N C E N T VA N D U Y S E N
manship and artisans for wooden flooring
and cabinet making. I love to work with
layers and contrast to achieve a sort of
warm sensuality."
Manifestly restrained, August shows Van
Duysen at his deliberate best, suffusing
the space with a moderating softness. "It
is all about calming down and creating
silence, and being in a space that does
not overstimulate the senses," he explains.
"I'm not the kind of person that wants to
create immediate effects. There is a pared-
down attitude that we Belgians have in our
aesthetics: very humble, very desaturated
colors."
"With my spaces, I'm creating not only for
the people it's for, but also for their objects,
furniture, their beloved animals or family,"
continues Van Duysen of his holistic
approach. "It's about the well-being of all
of it. I wanted to become more mindful as
an architect, as I am creating for others."
vincentvanduysen.com
Flos and furniture by Vincent Van Duysen
for Molteni&C. "This results in an interior
with some traditional forms but in a modern
way, where everything blends in together,"
he adds. Other touches include decorative
profiles and doors complemented by hand-
painted tiles and white marble, visible in
the onetime chapel that now hosts a bar
and glass-roofed restaurant. Interspersed
throughout the architecture, lush gardens
by Martin Wirtz cultivate cozy, breathe-easy
public and private spaces.
Imperative to every Van Duysen endeavor,
material is of particular importance in this
project. "Most of my materials are derived
from nature," he says. "My plaster tech-
niques or my wall treatments are mostly
derived from chalk. I use all natural paints
or paint techniques, and the fabrics used
in the carpets are never synthetic. Instead,
they are wools, linens or cottons. Of course,
we Belgians have a rich heritage in fabrics
and carpetsy, and even incredible crafts-
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