Full of Emptiness

Axel Vervoordt, most eclectic of the great art dealers, cares little for fashion and appreciates timelessness

Words Philippe Seulliet — Photos Laziz Hamani

The golden age of Antwerp lasted for nearly the whole 16th century, until the Spanish conquest on 17 August 1585. In the century to follow, the city’s importance lived on in terms of art, thanks to Rubens, Van Dyck, Jordaens, Teniers. This house comes from that era. After remaining in the hands of a single family from 1619 to 1950, it was donated to an order of missionaries, and was then a hotel for 30 years. In 2006 it was purchased by a businessman and collector who now lives there with his masterpieces. The ten-year restoration was completed last year.

The project was overseen by Axel Vervoordt, aesthete-wizard, and Kristof Goossens, a young architect at the helm of the studio Anversa. A concept of “fullness of emptiness” dictated an effort to eliminate everything that was not essential. A minimalism that is never gratuitous, but a matter of perfect proportions and quality materials, like the oak floors and lime-coated walls using natural pigments. The light suggests the images of Vermeer and other paintings from this part of the globe. The new elements, like the indoor pool, are practically invisible. Vervoordt, with his wife May and their team, conducted extensive research to find furniture and antiques, joined by comfortable custom seating. It is rare for a home in Antwerp to have such a large garden. The landscape designers Jacques and Martin Wirtz did not want a banal Renaissance reconstruction, while carefully conserving an ageold ginkgo tree. The natural setting offers exceptional peace in the heart of the city.

In the end, the most important presence is that of the family: their conversations, guests, meals, wine, music and works of art. After four centuries, this dwelling has restored to all its beauty.