“The architect who makes minimalism feel alive.”
Vincent Van Duysen doesn’t just design buildings, he crafts moments of quiet. Born in Belgium in 1962, he sharpened his eye and sensibilities in Milan under Aldo Cibic, discovering that minimalism isn’t about emptiness, but about precision, proportion, and the thoughtful intention behind every line.
Back in Antwerp, he founded VVDA, a studio where he wears multiple hats as architect, interior designer, and product designer. Every line, every surface, every material is chosen to be experienced, not shown off. Stone drapes like fabric, light takes on a life of its own, and the spaces he creates don’t just exist, they breathe.
Van Duysen’s work proves that luxury doesn’t need to shout. It whispers, lingers, and endures.
The Language of Silence: luxury you don’t see, but feel.
Vincent Van Duysen’s design philosophy is minimalism with soul. It lets every detail, texture, and shadow speak. His interiors are defined by neutral palettes, tactile materials, and a subtle interplay of light and shadow that turns ordinary rooms into contemplative retreats.
Wood, stone, linen, plaster…These materials are anything but ordinary. In Van Duysen’s hands, stone flows like fabric. Linen softens the austerity of concrete, and wood carries warmth without distraction. Each surface is chosen to invite touch, evoke calm, and linger in memory. There’s a paradox at the heart of his work: his interiors feel both monastic and cosmopolitan.
Sparse yet rich, quiet yet layered, they invite introspection while remaining undeniably elegant. In a Van Duysen space, luxury isn’t about display, it’s about experience.
Visually Silent Architecture
Vincent Van Duysen doesn’t chase visual drama, he cultivates silence in form. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Casa M in Melides, where the architecture almost dissolves into the landscape. Monolithic volumes of concrete and cork blend seamlessly with the surrounding terrain, creating a quiet dialogue with nature.
Materials are chosen with intention: wood softens the austerity of stone, while cork and plaster introduce subtle texture without distraction. Every detail is meticulously considered. The unnecessary is stripped away to reveal the essence of the space. The result is minimalism that feels alive: restrained yet warm, meditative yet unmistakably luxurious.
From philosophy to practice, Vincent Van Duysen’s ideas come to life in every corner he designs. Each project is a manifesto of restraint and refinement. Architecture, interiors, and materials converge to create spaces that feel both intimate and monumental. What follows is a glimpse into some of his most iconic works. These projects embody his signature language of silence, balance, and tactile luxury.
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Hospitality
JNĉQUOI Beach Club, Comporta, Portugal
Ever wondered what happens when Vincent Van Duysen designs a beach club? On the pristine shores of Praia do Pego, the JNcQUOI Beach Club answers that question. It does so with style, subtlety, and just the right amount of cheek. More than a restaurant, it’s a seaside retreat where architecture whispers while the Atlantic steals the show.
Reed, stained wood, cane, and fabrics that soften the structure, while inside, warm tones and accents of terracotta and Klein blue infuse the space with understated energy.
JNcQUOI Beach Club is Van Duysen’s interpretation of Comporta’s lifestyle: minimal yet vibrant, quiet yet alive: a place where architecture whispers, and every detail matters.
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Residential
What if your living room had a better view than most people’s vacations? Vincent Van Duysen delivered exactly that with this residence in Paris. A duplex perched above the Seine, where even the Eiffel Tower seems like a polite neighbor saying “Bonjour!”.
Inside, restraint rules: natural stone, chocolate-hued wood, plastered walls, and delicate wallpapers set a stage for contemporary art and treasured furniture. It’s minimalism with panache: tactile surfaces, bronze details, and a marble-clad bathroom lit by an Art Deco skylight whisper sophistication without ever shouting.
And then there’s the terrace. Perched above Paris like a floating café au lait, it offers 360-degree views of the city.From Montmartre to the Grand Palais, a pergola winks at Le Corbusier. Curated greenery and a water pond invite a moment of joie de vivre. Here, Van Duysen shows that luxury can be serene, playful, and unmistakably French: très chic, but never stuffy.
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Retail
Boutique Ferragamo, Milan, Italy
When Vincent Van Duysen steps into the world of fashion retail, you know it won’t be just about shopping, it’s about staging an experience. His renovation of Ferragamo’s women’s boutique in Milan, housed in the historic Palazzo Carcassola Grandi, feels like slipping into couture architecture: elegant, timeless, and just a little unexpected.
Venetian stucco, stone floors, warm creams, and mottled red marble (a wink to Ferragamo’s favorite color) set the stage. Accessories, shoes, and silks seem to float rather than sit on display, while bronze-framed mirrors multiply the space ensuring every angle is runway-ready.
Ottomans, armchairs, and soft textures invite you to linger, because in Vincent Van Duysen’s world, luxury isn’t rushed, it’s savored, one perfectly crafted detail at a time.
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Molteni&C
Palazzo Molteni, Milan, Italy
Since 2016, Vincent Van Duysen has been much more than a collaborator, he is the creative soul guiding Molteni&C’s visual identity and retail vision. Appointed Creative Director of Molteni&C and Dada, he’s been instrumental in shaping the brand’s identity and its global vision.
In Milan, history is never static and Vincent Van Duysen proves it at Palazzo Molteni. Just steps from La Scala, this 18th-century palazzo has been reimagined not as a museum piece, but as a living stage where old grandeur and new precision share the spotlight.
A glass-roofed courtyard pulls the outdoors in, while coffered ceilings echo across oak paneling, marble floors, and monumental staircases. The palette is bold yet balanced, avocado marble against warm oak, light travertine against dark wood, a play of contrasts that feels distinctly Milanese.
Palazzo Molteni isn’t just about preserving the past. It’s about rewriting it with a contemporary rhythm, showing once again how Vincent Van Duysen turns architecture into atmosphere.
Vincent Van Duysen in Furniture
Vincent Van Duysen’s talent extends beyond buildings and interiors. His furniture transforms spaces into experiences you can touch, sit on, and feel, turning sofas and chairs into objects of quiet luxury. In his hands, furniture becomes more an extension of his spatial philosophy, where very choice tells a story.
Linea for Molteni&C (2025)
The Linea armchair exemplifies Van Duysen’s talent for transforming furniture into sculpture. Its compact, elegant proportions and trumpet-shaped swivel base nod to mid-century design, while a subtle void in the backrest lightens its presence. Crafted with a multilayered pinewood frame and high-density foam, and fully upholstered in Molteni&C fabrics or leather, Linea combines comfort, versatility, and timeless sophistication.
Fedrigo for Zanotta (2025)
On the hand, Vincent Van Duysen built Fedrigo sofa turning modular design into an intimate embrace. The backrest flows into the armrests and generous cushions invite you to sink in. Built with sustainability in mind, its plywood and polyurethane structure and recycled PET upholstery can be fully disassembled, proving that comfort and responsibility can coexist effortlessly.
Vincent Vand Duysen at Milan Design Week 2025
At the Milan Design Week 2025, Vincent Van Duysen reminded everyone that his vision goes far beyond architecture and interiors.
His Optô collection for WonderGlass turns perception into experience. Combining perforated fused glass with blown glass, each piece plays with transparency and opacity, light and shadow, creating a constantly shifting dialogue with its surroundings.
No matter where you stand, new facets emerge, transforming what could be a simple object into a living, sculptural performance. With Optô, Vincent Van Duysen shows that design is as much about seeing as it is about living.
Design as a Dialogue
Ultimately, Vincent Van Duysen’s work reminds us that design isn’t just about spaces or objects, it’s about how we experience them. From the quietude of his architecture to the tactile intimacy of his furniture, and the sculptural poetry of his glass pieces, every project carries his signature: restraint paired with warmth, precision softened by human scale.
His designs invite us to slow down, to notice the light, the texture, the subtle gestures that make a space or an object feel alive. In Vincent Van Duysen’s world, luxury whispers, and beauty lingers long after the first glance.
