Settle in

Architect Vittorio Simoni is an avid and passionate traveller. While the purpose is not explicitly to view architectural showpieces or the work of colleagues, these journeys are intrinsic to his practice. To Simoni, travelling represents an opportunity to hone his powers of observation and rekindle his sense of wonder about all that his eyes alight upon. Simoni moves through space with an eagle eye and an unprejudiced mind. This photo selection illustrates the power of Simoni's gaze.

The photographs expose the architect's Italian roots. They pulse with feeling: the desire to celebrate the tactility of making something; the eager hunt for authenticity, delight, and mastery over colour and form. These are the meditations of a traveller who is open to wonder. He demonstrates his searching process, one that transcends the mere pleasures of aestheticism. He sets out to capture his curiousity and confusion about the unexpected objects with which he is confronted. This insatiable instinct to record what grabs and compels him is also Simoni's method of recharging his batteries, maintaining his zeal for the precision of detail that every architectural project demands.

Text in English and Dutch.

About the Author

Vittorio Simoni (1954, Genk) is one of Belgium's most prominent architects and interior designers. Simoni's work is highly diverse in its scope, ranging from private homes to public buildings, shops, hotels, luxury resorts, museums and restaurants. Simoni Architects is not only active in Belgium but also Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, Dubai, Japan, Bangkok, Curacao and Indonesia.

Besides his work as an architect, Vittorio Simoni has been a professor at Hasselt University since 2013. Simoni's innovative architecture defies stereotypes and typologies. Individual situations receive their own architectural solutions, with location-specific aesthetics and personalities. Stichting Kunstboek published a retrospective of his design methodology in 2008, under the title Situational Architecture.