Fantastic homes in "Den Brandt" are featured during our architecture walk!

On Sunday 26 June, we organised another architectural walk in "Den Brandt". This neighbourhood consists of an estate covering some 48 hectares and was sold to the City of Antwerp by the noble della Faille de Waerloos family in 1910. In exchange, the della Faille family obtained the allotment permit and founded the "Extensions et Entreprises Anversoises" to build the 'Den Brandt' villa park in collaboration with numerous renowned architects. 

Accompanied by Jo Braeken, heritage researcher at the Flemish Government's Agency for Immovable Heritage, we start the walk and encounter homes by architects such as Florent Vaes, Jos Ritzen, Jan Vanhoenacker, Cols & De Roeck, De Coninck & Potie!

The neighbourhood whose plan was drawn by city engineer Richard Lemeunier was laid out in a crescent around the wooded Park Den Brandt, which had been purchased and laid out as a public park by the city of Antwerp in 1910. The building regulations for the district were laid down in detail in the "Della Faille Convention". This stipulated, among other things, the size of the plots, the implantation of the villas, the obligation to use 'natural' building materials, and the prohibition of non-residential functions such as trade and catering. To preserve the character of 'parc habité', the existing trees also had to be preserved as much as possible.

The heyday in the development of the district coincides with the early interwar period, the 1920s to 1925s, when architects Léopold De Coninck and Maurice Potié made their mark on the streetscape. Their trademark became an interpretation of the cottage-villa in 'Old English' style. Some 40 of the villas De Coninck and Potié created in the district are still preserved.

In the same years, architect Jos Ritzen provides the most contemporary architecture in the district. With their geometric volumes and horizontal accents, the Peeters and Kennis villas, built together, represent the early modernism of Ritzen's architecture. 

The designer of the Boerentoren, Jan Vanhoenacker, is present in the district with the 1928 Landuydt villa, built for a brick manufacturer from Terhagen. With the expressive brick masonry of this Art Deco villa, Landuydt gave a calling card to his company, which also supplied the clinkers for the road surface. Dating from 1935 is the Sauter villa by Jef Huygh, architect of the Sint-Lievenscollege and the Sint-Laurentiuskerk, who traditionally designed it as a total concept including the interior and the garden.

After a fascinating explanation and pleasant walk, we treated our guests to a drink at Tennis Club Den Brandt.