The missing figuration of the interiors are restored by constructing new figurative elements: the plaster wainscoting, the oak studwork wall, the steel truss, the I-beam, the folded timber screen and the curved tiled wall.

By removing the wall supporting the stairs a larger hallway is created allowing more daylight to enter the house.

The kitchen has been moved from the back of the house to the centre and is visible from the hallway through internal glazing.

On the first floor the room to the rear of the house is opened up to the staircase changing the spatial experience of ascending the stairs and a timber screen hides small rooms behind it.

A new bathroom is made around a curved tiled wall on the second floor of the house.

Renovation of a Row House

Antwerp

Long section

Short Section

Ground floor

First floor

Second floor

The project involves the extension and renovation of a four-story townhouse for a family in Antwerp, located on a street lined with 19th-century townhouses near the Sint-Willibrorduskerk.

To enhance the flow of space and light, we removed the wall supporting the staircase, resulting in a more open hallway that invites additional daylight into the house. The kitchen has been relocated from the back of the house to the center, visible through internal glazing from the hallway. At the rear, we’ve added a new garden room with a gracefully draped timber roof, creating a light and elegant domestic atmosphere.

On the first floor, the room at the back has been opened up to the staircase, transforming the spatial experience of ascending the stairs. A timber screen conceals small rooms behind it. Additionally, a new bathroom has been introduced on the second floor, featuring a curved tiled wall.

The original 19th-century interior would have once been characterized by the decorative presence of a chimney. In the Lovelingstraat house, the remaining chimneys are located in the front rooms facing the street. To restore the lost figuration of the interiors, we have introduced new decorative elements, including plaster wainscoting, oak stud work walls, a steel truss, an I-beam, a folded timber screen, and a curved tiled wall.

These elements utilize familiar materials but are finished to add specificity and evoke a domestic atmosphere. The color scheme is designed to create a cohesive visual experience as one moves through the house, with dark blue wainscoting in the foreground, deep red oak studwork in the middle ground, and a sulfur-yellow truss in the background.

  • Design teamDirk Somers, William Burgess & Merijn Muller
  • LocationAntwerp
  • Year2018 - 2019
  • ClientRika Devos and Sebastiaan Vansteenberghe
  • PhotographyFilip Dujardin