Family, Photography, and Architecture

Sometimes family history and architecture intersect in a unique way. This was recently the case when photographer Pieter Melotte, during his stay in Belgium, visited two homes closely linked to his own family history.

Pieter Melotte is a photographer based in New York. He is the grandson of architect Paul Schellekens and thus — like Jan Vanhout, curator of the Architectural Conservation Trust — a great-grandson of architect Jozef Schellekens.

During his annual visit to family in Belgium, Pieter decided to visit two significant locations from his family history:

• the residence of architect Jozef Schellekens, designed by his great-grandfather himself
• the residence of architect Carli Vanhout
  
  

That second home also has a strong family connection. Carli Vanhout was the brother-in-law of Paul Schellekens, and therefore closely linked to the Schellekens family. Furthermore, Carli Vanhout and Paul Schellekens collaborated for years in the atelier Carli Vanhout – Paul Schellekens & Ass., where they realized numerous projects together.

For Pieter, this visit meant more than just an architectural discovery. It was also a personal encounter with places that are part of his own family history.

With his photographic eye, he captured the atmosphere of the homes — contemporary images of buildings that have since become an important part of the modernist heritage within the Kempen region and the story of the Turnhout School.