This book, which was originally published in 2000, is regarded as an intrinsic part of the oeuvre of Maarten Van Severen. That is why Ludion and The Maarten Van Severen Foundation have decided to reissue it ten years after his death. The surprisingly constructed book provides a survey of all of the designer’s creations. It opens with a labyrinthine photomontage that charts the creative foreland of Maarten Van Severen. The following slide show presents the genesis of the various items of furniture. The accompanying essay by Geert Bekaert sketches a penetrating picture of Van Severen’s work and is followed by a photographic report on the house in Floirac near Bordeaux (architect Rem Koolhaas) – called ‘the best house ever’ by Time –, the Mercator Gallery in Antwerp, and the site of Pont-du-Gard in Nîmes. The book shows how Van Severen’s ascetic tables, chairs, exhibition stands, lamps and cupboards match a contemporary lifestyle. His designs are characterised by a great simplicity and the use of contemporary materials. Van Severen worked for big furniture manufacturers such as Bulo Edra and Vitra. His projects with the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas include the Villa dall’Ava in Bordeaux and the Netherlands Embassy in Berlin.

Trilingual edition (English, Dutch, French)