Studio Job is known for a unique and eclectic design aesthetic, rich in ornamentation and exceptional materials. Despite this lavish design approach Job Smeets’ House is the opposite. The contemporary loft was conceived as a white canvas, “an objective canvas with pure materials” said Smeets.
Placed in a neighborhood of architects, artists, and designers in the center of the diamond district in central Antwerp the warehouse, this house used to be a school for the Orthodox-Jewish community. But it was chosen for its minimal design and its strong, concrete foundations.
The building was stripped down to its bare structure and opened up to create a single open space of 700 square meters spread over two floors.
The interiors in exposed concrete, cast floors and raw wooden elements, the no design” philosophy helps to preserve the authentic charisma of the building and the neutral background allows to create an eclectic home with a curated selection of art and modern furniture.
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The only intervention was the stairs designed to connect the communal areas on the lower floor with the bedroom above, a wooden structure with a sculptural, red handrail by Dutch designer Maarten Baas.
The loft is designed with a museum-like concept where the designers display the treasured pieces of art and design, with a small preference for mid-century furniture from the 50s “modernism in its purest form, when it was the most relevant”.
An outdoor space that “gives air and a place to hang”. This loft, more than being a contemporary art gallery is above definitely a place to live and work.
