A design lover’s guide to Antwerp and Ghent
They may be two distinct cities, but Antwerp and Ghent are separated by less than an hour’s train journey, making their collective offering digestible in a single long weekend. The two medieval centres are not short of a cathedral or two to amble around, but neither are they lacking in contemporary galleries, fresh culinary offerings and, of course, myriad opportunities to soak up Belgium’s rich and varied design scene. Here is our own take on what to see and do – a design lover’s guide to Antwerp and Ghent.
SEE
1. Valerie Traan, Antwerp
Gallerist Veerle Wenes explores the intersection of art, architecture and design at her home and gallery, Valerie Traan, occupying a converted 19th-century building that was once used by nuns, and a 1970s furniture showroom. Veerle says her shows are about telling the stories behind the makers of the work she exhibits: “It is not a single story that I am trying to tell. Every exhibition, like every artist, designer or architect, has his or her own story,” she explains. Keep your eyes peeled for the next big thing: Veerle launched the careers of Belgian design sensation Muller van Severen back in 2011.
2. Design Museum Ghent, Ghent
Behind an 18th-century Rococo frontage, this museum offers a comprehensive survey of the history of European design, running the gamut from fragments of 15th-century Gothic furniture to Christopher Dresser’s proto-modernist works, right the way through to pieces from the latest generation of Belgian talent. Temporary exhibitions are tasked with showcasing the impact good design has on society, and typically focus on subjects like Belgian mid-century graphic design.
3. Axel Vervoordt Gallery, Antwerp
Belgium’s most well-known interior designer, Axel Vervoordt, began making an imprint on his native city of Antwerp when he was just 21, ambitiously renovating a series of 15th and 16th-century houses in the wabi-sabi style that became his trademark. Fifty years have gone by since then, and his imprint now extends to an entire neighbourhood, Kanal, a former distillery and malting complex housing residential, commercial and gallery space in its brick warehouses and concrete grain silos.
The Axel Vervoordt Gallery encompasses permanent works by James Turrell (a red-hued work in a former chapel) and Anish Kapoor’s ‘At the Edge of the World’ (a gargantuan dome in an old silo) as well as East-looking temporary exhibitions and a modern ‘antiquary’ displaying art, antiques, design pieces and furniture curated under Axel’s inimitable eye.
EAT
4. Graanmarkt 13, Antwerp
No trip to Antwerp is complete without a visit to Graanmarkt 13, a wonderfully inspiring mash-up of shop, gallery, restaurant and guesthouse housed in an 18th-century neoclassical townhouse overhauled by Vincent van Duysen. In the basement, chef Seppe Nobels has carved out a name for himself with veg-focused, seasonal dishes that utilise fresh produce from the restaurant’s own farm, garden and beehives. Can’t make it to Antwerp? Get his recipe for chicory tarte tatin here.
5. Evidence, Antwerp
This bijou eatery serves up French fare in small-menu iterations during lunch, and options for two, four and six-course dinners. We like the simple, light-filled interior, the work of local studio Van Staeyen, who retained original wooden panelling and mosaic floors, and installed green banquettes and sculptural light fittings for a contemporary take on the classic French bistro. Expect warm staff, generous plates and a good wine list.
Photography: Philippe Corthout
6. Veranda, Antwerp
This under-the-radar neighbourhood spot is in Antwerp’s old meat district, near Park Spoor Noord, a sprawling leisure and recreation park on reclaimed railway land. Its location off the beaten track makes it all the more charming, as does its relaxed vibe in which dinner could take the form of a five-course tasting menu or a selection of small plates at the bar, all washed down with craft beers or natural wine drops, of course.
7. Fiskebar, Antwerp
In Antwerp’s ‘hip’ Zuid neighbourhood, this former fishmonger has a new lease of life serving fresh and sustainable seafood cooked with skill in a cosy, intimate atmosphere. Dishes include decadent masses of shellfish, bouillabaisse and shrimp croquettes, a local favourite.
SHOP
8. St Vincent, Antwerp
Everything you see in this one-time printing house is for sale, which, given the domestic feel of being in someone’s (well-curated) living room, makes for a relaxed and organic way to pick up furniture, fashion, home accessories and houseplants. If you’re not in the market for any of those, though, a coffee stand serves roasts from Berlin-based The Barn and upstairs is given over to rotating exhibitions with names like ‘Sharpness is a Bourgeois Concept’, a Henri Cartier-Bresson quote.
9. Copyright, Ghent
An international and independent bookstore, specialising in art, architecture, photography, design and graphic design for over 30 years. There’s a second outpost in Antwerp.
STAY
10. August, Antwerp
We suggest basing yourself in Antwerp, where our choice of lodgings is August, a hotel in a former Augustinian convent that’s been given the Vincent van Duysen treatment. Forty-four rooms occupy a series of five neoclassical buildings, all of which have been done in a restful scheme that matches the original timber panelling and white mouldings with classic pieces and timeless details. A small spa and an eatery by restaurateur Nick Bril, who oversees the two Michelin-starred The Jane, sweeten the deal.
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