New edition of ‘Turnhoutse School’ just around the corner

On Saturday, September 12, the third, updated edition of Architecture in the Golden Sixties: The Turnhoutse School will be presented at Master Interior. Together with AR-TUR, Architects in Motion, and Master Interior, we are organizing a special evening centered on the Turnhoutse School and its significance within contemporary architecture.

The original publication appeared in 2012 and received its first reprint in 2014. The new edition goes a step further. The content has been updated and expanded with a new preface and an additional chapter. In addition to the Dutch edition, an English version will be published for the first time, allowing the story of the Turnhoutse School to reach a broader international audience.

The Architectural Conservation Trust is also featured in the new chapter. Consequently, the publication is not limited to the story of the original Turnhoutse School but extends the narrative to the present day. The new chapter places the movement within a broader architectural context and demonstrates how Turnhout remains a fertile environment for architecture and design today.

What to expect:

Following a welcome address by Olaf Grondelaers (VRT), Edith Wouters (AR-TUR) will provide details on the new edition and the importance of an English version in ensuring the continued international influence of the Turnhoutse School’s story.

Next, Yves De Bont (co-author of the book) will join Luc Vanhout, co-manager at Architects in Motion and initiator of ACT, and Dennis Pohl, director of the VAi, for a panel discussion on how available archives serve as an essential foundation for further research and new interpretations of the Turnhoutse School today.

The focus then shifts to the present with Karina Van Herck (Flanders Heritage Agency), Marieke Kuipers (TU Delft), and Eva Storgaard (UAntwerpen). Under the title ‘Watching, experiencing, valuing’, they will discuss how the architecture of the Turnhoutse School is approached today and the value it holds as relatively recent heritage.

Finally, a look toward the future: Edith Wouters, Philip Baelus (architect), and Jef Van Doninck (Erfgoed Noorderkempen) will discuss the opportunities and challenges for the preservation and future of the architectural patrimony of the Turnhoutse School.

The event will conclude with a reception and book sale, offering an opportunity to meet the authors, speakers, partners, and fellow architecture enthusiasts.