Kolveniershof, where heritage and contemporary design meet

During this year’s edition of Antwerp Design Week, the historic Kolveniershof opens its doors as one of the most remarkable meeting places in the city. Hidden in the heart of Antwerp, this temporary transformation brings together heritage, scenography, storytelling and contemporary Belgian design in a way that feels both intimate and unexpected.

We sat down with the team behind the project to talk about Antwerp, design and the unique story of the Kolveniershof.

Q&A with Kolveniershof

Why did you decide to open the Kolveniershof as an information point during Antwerp Design Week?

“We believe the Kolveniershof, with its unique approach and atmosphere, is the perfect location for an info point during Antwerp Design Week. The project represents a strong vision on contemporary design through the work of Andampersand and Jonas Van Put. It’s not simply an information desk, it’s an experience in itself.”

What does participating in Antwerp Design Week mean to you?

“With our participation, we want to contribute to putting design in Antwerp even more firmly on the map. Antwerp has such a strong creative identity and Antwerp Design Week creates a valuable platform to showcase that energy.”

What do you hope visitors will experience here?

“We want visitors to discover how scenography can completely transform and activate a space without requiring large architectural interventions. A carefully designed scenography can create an entirely new atmosphere and experience.

At the same time, we want people to realise that this is a unique design intervention in a unique location that will not remain in this form forever. It’s a temporary moment in time. That makes visiting it even more special.”

Breathing new life into a historic place

What was the starting point for reviving the Kolveniershof?

“The Kolveniershof will eventually undergo a full renovation. Before that happens, Rubenshuis launched a competition to explore how the site could temporarily create value for entrepreneurs, local residents and the city itself.

Through OPCO, we entered into a collaboration with Rubenshuis to shape this temporary interpretation. Very quickly, we felt the need for a new aesthetic layer and that brought us to Andampersand and Jonas Van Put.”

How do you combine heritage with a contemporary concept?

“The designers searched for inspiration in Elewijt, where Rubens had his countryside residence surrounded by nature. Instead of literally copying Rubens’ visual baroque language, they focused on the observation and precision present in his later landscapes.

That connection became the foundation for a design that respects the historical context while simultaneously strengthening and reactivating it.”

What does entrepreneurship mean within such a historical context?

“Working within a historical context requires respect and understanding. Not only of Rubens as a painter, but also of Rubens as an entrepreneur and diplomat.

He played an important role in Antwerp’s international reputation and the Kolveniershof itself historically functioned as a place for gathering, networking and hosting events. We are trying to bring that spirit back into the space today.”

Design as a spatial experience

How is design integrated into the location?

“We asked Andampersand and Jonas Van Put to create a complete scenographic intervention for the site. Apart from one important condition, restoring the original purpose of the building as a place for gathering, dining and connecting, they were given almost complete creative freedom.

Their design became the centrepiece of the entire project. It immediately draws attention and gives the space a completely renewed identity. What was once a degraded historical site is elevated into a contemporary art and design project.”

What role does scenography play?

“Scenography plays a crucial role and goes hand in hand with design. Because this is a temporary activation, scenography allows us to work sustainably and reversibly.

The installation is fully demountable. There are no permanent interventions in the building and no material waste. Scenographers are used to working within temporary contexts and fast execution timelines, which made this approach particularly suitable.”

For this project, Andampersand and Jonas Van Put translated the positions of a tree composition from Rubens’ estate into an abstract spatial floorplan inside the Kolveniershof.

How important is storytelling within the space?

“Storytelling is essential to connect visitors with the legacy of Rubens and the identity of the Kolveniershof.

The story begins in Elewijt. For this project, Andampersand and Jonas Van Put translated the positions of a tree composition from Rubens’ estate into an abstract spatial floorplan inside the Kolveniershof.

The installation consists of fourteen local tree trunks that function as temporary architectural columns. The removed bark textures were captured in zinc plates, creating a dialogue between natural materials and craftsmanship.

At the centre of the space stands a large zinc table, restoring the original function of the Kolveniershof as a place of hospitality, gathering and conversation. Today, it becomes the setting for lectures, dinners and meaningful encounters during Antwerp Design Week.”

Antwerp as a city of contrasts

What makes Antwerp unique for design and events?

“Antwerp embraces contrast. In fact, contrast defines the city.

Designers and architects are given space here to reinterpret historical contexts in bold contemporary ways. One day you attend an event inside the Handelsbeurs or the Kolveniershof, the next day you find yourself in an industrial warehouse on the Eilandje or at Waagnatie.

Antwerp combines the cultural richness and accessibility of a major city with the human scale and walkability of a smaller town. That balance makes it incredibly unique.”

How does the connection with Rubens continue to live on today?

“The connection with Rubens lives on through storytelling, hospitality and gathering. The central zinc table symbolises exactly that spirit. It restores the original role of the Kolveniershof as a place for meeting, dining and exchanging ideas.

In many ways, that is still the essence of Antwerp today.”