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In the same text, one finds the rationality of Samyn’s
designs compared with those of the so-called revolu-
tionary architecture imagined by Claude Nicolas Ledoux
and Étienne-Louis Boullée from the late eighteenth
century, which was standardised somewhat by Jean
Nicolas Louis Durand. Such a comparison, like the
previous one, places the work of Philippe Samyn in
one of the essential traditions of architectural history,
which evolved concurrently (or alternately) with the
so-called organic or accumulative tradition, which
includes a part of medieval architecture. Does all of
this add up to an aesthetic? Yes and no, although there
is indisputably such a thing as a Samyn style, and a
unique approach to the problems of architecture, urban
planning and landscape. To quote him once again, we
see that, ‘it is not a question of posing as some sort of
technological genius: we are probably heading towards
a co-existence of various types of building. Alongside
new, hi-tech buildings and organic structures, the
maintenance and upkeep of traditional buildings, both
old and new, will continue until a good part of this
legacy disappears.’ This is no doubt a good definition
of the roadmap for today’s architects, especially if they
are interested in avoiding waste. In parallel to this, one
should note Philippe Samyn’s love for certain ancient
architectural forms, including those of classical archi-
tecture from all parts of the world, indeed, any place in
which reason and balance can be found.
The aesthetic project of Philippe Samyn is certainly
not limited to ‘Beauty is Utility’, one of functionalism’s
great slogans, but he has clearly adopted the idea
of not loading down a construction with decorative
elements that are symbolic or allegedly inspired by
industrial design, the inclusion of which blurs our
ability to read the architecture. The fascination with
geometry led him to the study of fractals, as well as
to the design of the theoretical Wing building project
in 1970 (01-000) and to the spherical shapes in the
project for the Musical Instrument and Crafts Museum
in Dranouter (01-254; unbuilt).
When it comes to including works of art, Philippe
Samyn does not turn them away, but he accords
them only a modest place. At the Houten fire station
(01-373), children from the small town decorated
the standard-sized sheets that clad the large verti-
cal wall dividing the space. For the Espace Christian
Dotremont in Nivelles-Nord (01-379), Samyn asked the
musician Henri Pousseur to fill the space with a sort
of electronic carillon, and also invited the artist Yves
Zurstrassen to make a contribution. A large fresco by
Kris Van de Giessen adorns the ceiling of the restaurant
at Orival (01-365); in Hellebecq (01-386), the panels
are decorated with large reproductions of the finest
works of art from the Museum of Fine Arts in nearby
Tournai. At Rixensart (01-410), Leon Wuidar, a con-
structivist painter from Liège, contributed to the design
of the floor lighting in the foyer of the auditorium for
GlaxoSmithKline.
Further examples are given in the anthology. Generally
speaking, as he stated in an interview in 2006, Philippe
Samyn encourages each artist in his or her specialisa-
tion: the painter must paint, the sculptor must sculpt,
and so on. A concern for contour modulation is clearly
not lacking in the work of Philippe Samyn, but he is
interested in the neatness and clarity of links, assem-
blies and juxtapositions of materials: new elements with
each other, and new elements with pre-existing ones.
For Philippe Samyn, architecture, although it is often
synonymous with rigour, is not synonymous with dry-
ness. The ‘sensual’ aspect is essential, and it can be
found in his use of materials, colours, light and even
acoustics. This preoccupation has led him to several
interesting creations, including a ‘pure’ grey tone
that acts as a veritable colour mirror, a ‘raw’ linoleum
(unfortunately a material little used today) and various
other fabrics. He appears to think that the architect
has been thrust into the role of a buyer of materials
and technical processes by the current state of much
of the construction industry and the regulations of
public procurement. Everyday life is a constant struggle
01-386
First project for the Totalfina
service station, Hellebecq,
1999–2000