Architecture down to the door handle

Roger Bonduel is considered one of the most important metal artists of the 20th century. His designs, and in particular the famous cylinder handle, became icons of post-war modernism. This door handle was not only technically refined and ergonomically sophisticated, but also formally radical in its simplicity. Precisely because of this, it was highly coveted by leading architects from Belgium and abroad.

Bonduel worked closely with pioneers of Belgian modern architecture such as Arthur Degeyter, Marc Dessauvage, Paul Felix and Konstrukto. In close dialogue with Roger Bonduel, their designs were sharpened down to the smallest detail. In this context, the door and window hardware did not function as an accessory, but as an essential part of the architectural composition.

The mutual appreciation between designer and architect culminated in the fact that Paul Felix was ultimately commissioned to design Roger Bonduel’s home. The collaboration, together with glass artist Michel Martens, resulted in a timeless modernist bungalow in which architecture, metal, and glass merge into one coherent whole. The project perfectly embodies the modernist ideal of the gesamtkunstwerk: a total design in which every detail carries meaning.

The presence of Bonduel’s door handles in the home of architect Carli Vanhout fits perfectly within this philosophy. They testify to a shared design ethic in which functionality, material expression, and refinement in detail are central. What at first glance appears to be a small element thus proves to be a tangible carrier of a broader cultural and architectural ambition.