Artist’s Home Jespers a Finalist for The Heritage Jewel 2025
The artist’s home, Jespers, located on Antwerp’s Marialei, is one of five finalists for The Heritage Jewel 2025, a prize recognizing progressive and caring heritage work.
Built in 1909 by Eugène Geefs as a studio home for his brother Georges, the house was later taken over around 1927 by artist Floris Jespers. He commissioned a thorough renovation by Frits de Mont. Subsequent artists including Huib Hoste, Leon Stynen, Jan de Mol, and Paul van Ostaijen also contributed to the building’s character, evolving it into a modernist studio emphasizing light, rythm, and functionality.
When the current owners acquired the property, it was in a state of disrepair, suffering from water damage, wood rot, and rusted steel windows.Following five years of intensive restoration, the house has been revitalized with a enduring, contemporary approach.
The restoration, undertaken by Blend Architects, was described not as a classic reconstruction, but as a reinterpretation of modernist ideas. Driven by the owners’ background at Kringwinkel antwerp, the project prioritized circular construction and the use of recuperated materials. New bathrooms, a light axle above the stairwell, custom furniture, and a roof garden were largely constructed using recycled materials, all “in the spirit of Leon Stynen without falling into copies.”
A meaningful element of the restoration involved raising the mezzanine in the former studio, lifting the structure – including the spiral staircase – to create usable space below while preserving the facade’s silhouette. During this work,murals by Floris Jespers were discovered,professionally restored,and given a prominent display.These murals connect to Paul van Ostaijen’s poem F.Jespers paints a harbor, reflecting the atmosphere of the rediscovered scene.
The restoration also included a meticulous repair of the steel windows, involving careful glass removal, reshaping and replacement of damaged steel, six layers of maritime coating, and the use of monument glass. The facade was also carefully cleaned and restored to highlight the brick’s subtle color variations and modernist rhythm.
The project aims to demonstrate how heritage can be both preserved and made future-oriented, serving as a place for creation and connection while respecting its artistic past and exemplifying sustainable heritage management.
Voting for the artist’s home Jespers for The Heritage Jewel 2025 is open here until September 15th.
