Revisiting the concrete architecture of Belgian icon Juliaan Lampens
Revisiting the concrete architecture of Belgian icon Juliaan Lampens
Once the lonely passion of a few devotees, the concrete architecture of Belgian architect Juliaan Lampens is a revelation; just don’t call him a brutalist
Van Wassenhove House by Juliaan Lampens
Those, like us, who have a soft spot for crude concrete architecture, will love the work of Juliaan Lampens (1926-2019). The powerful concrete roughness of the Belgian architect’s volumes is inescapable when you walk past two of his best known buildings, both near Ghent: the Chapel of Our Blessed Lady of Kerselare, in the village of Edelare, and the Van Wassenhove house in Sint-Martens-Latem.
The first book in the series, The Blessed Girl, by Angela Mokholwa, is about young girls who get involved in sexual relationships with older men, in exchange for money and possessions.
“The book speaks to what we see in society, where young girls who are struggling financially see their only way out as sleeping with older men. This issue highlights the trend of patriarchy in society, where girls and women believe they cannot succeed without men,” Khumalo says.
At the book club, Khumalo discusses the book, its underlying themes and what they mean.
“We are also going to speak to a psychologist about the book and, at the end of the series, will interview the author to find out why she wrote it and what she wants people to learn.”