Charles
Vandenhove

In 1945, Charles Vandenhove began his studies at the Saint-Luc School of Art in Liège, where he met Lucien Kroll. He continued his studies with Lucien Kroll at the École nationale supérieure d’Architecture et des Arts visuels de La Cambre, where he chose Victor Bourgeois’s studio, which would have a significant influence on his work. In 1951, he completed his studies and began a partnership with Lucien Kroll. They visit the leading architects of the time: Auguste Perret, Le Corbusier, and Ponti. They intend to burst the bubble they’ve been living in at La Cambre and confront the complex and multifaceted reality of architecture. In 1967, Charles Vandenhove rose to prominence: he published, exhibited, taught, and designed buildings that were featured in the architectural press. The project’s success has been hampered by financial, administrative, and even political difficulties (a heritage preservation organization, “Le Vieux-Liège,” has filed a lawsuit).