Sample of modern architecture

“The buildings in Vilvoorde designed by De Winter and Engels in the 1950s and 1960s form a dense network of landmarks across the provincial town, which has consequently become a fine showcase of 1950s and 1960s architecture. They transcend their provincial context and, without being prestige projects, can hold their own on the international stage.” With this, authors Geert Conaerts and Eva De Wachter conclude their thesis on architects Lucien Engels and Roger De Winter, who designed various homes in Vilvoorde both together and separately. By “dense network,” the authors refer to the more than 40 homes built more or less in the same neighborhood. It was no coincidence that the architects were able to develop such a dense network of houses in a short period of time. Engels and De Winter carried out their Vilvoorde projects primarily during the 1950s and 1960s, a period that proved to be a high point in Belgian housing history. The question therefore arises as to what influence (postwar) housing policy had on the expansion of Vilvoorde and to what extent the projects of architects Engels and De Winter were influenced by this. You will find answers to these and other questions in the book *Vilvoorde, A Showcase of Modern Architecture—Roger De Winter and Lucien Engels*, published in 2010 at the initiative of the Province of Flemish Brabant. In addition to a detailed description of 46 homes, richly illustrated with interior photos, the book also includes essays on the social and modernist context in which they were created and on their current vulnerability. Fascinating reading that inspires an on-site exploration. That is why the Province of Flemish Brabant and the City Council of Vilvoorde compiled this walking brochure.