a forgotten modernist.
History tends to give all the credits to the lucky few. Or maybe just to the smart few. Le Corbusier for example was very self-conscious and kind of wrote his own history. Corbu was very good at imagebuilding and carefully cultivated his "immaculate conception" even if research shows that even he was a copycat. That other great modernist, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, rarely shows up on pictures without a cigar. Do you think it's a coincidence?
People who don't market themselves well tend to slip between the creases of history, even if their work is of extraordinary value. Such as Belgian architect Juliaan Lampens, who made some unique work in post-war Belgium. His houses feature completely open spaces, sometimes all rooms were under the same roof, without any ceilings. This was very rare in Belgian architecture at that time. With this approach, Lampens wanted to stimulate social interaction and family life. Living without barriers between children and parents. Or to say it in his own words: "So many things have already been seen through the keyhole, so why then do you need a keyhole...?". The idea feels very 60s, I think most children today would hate it. And maybe the parents, too :-).
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