Panamarenko House in Antwerp gains provisional monument status
The Panamarenko House in Antwerp, the former home of artist Henri Van Herwegen, better known as Panamarenko, has been granted provisional protection as a monument by the Flemish government.
This designation is the first step toward the house's potential permanent recognition as a monument, a process that could be completed within nine months.
Panamarenko, a leading figure in the post-war European avant-garde, donated his home on Biekorfstraat in Antwerp to the Flemish government in 2002. The government subsequently appointed the M HKA museum as the caretaker of the property. The house has remained largely untouched since Panamarenko used it as his studio for more than 30 years.
"The house shows the creative process and universe of this top artist from the post-war European avant-garde," said a spokesperson for Flemish minister of immovable heritage Matthias Diependaele. "It is an extremely rare example of an authentic artist's home, and one of the most remarkable post-war artist's homes in Flanders."
© BELGA VIDEO MAARTEN WEYNANTS
Among the house's most distinctive features is the glass loggia that spans the entire width of the front facade. This nearly 10m-wide steel structure served as both a study and an exotic winter garden, where Panamarenko kept his houseplants and allowed his parrots to fly freely. Another notable element is the helicopter platform on the roof, which adds to the building's unique character.
Following Panamarenko's donation, the house was restored and opened to the public. The provisional monument status aims to solidify the house's importance and ensure its preservation for future generations.
"By protecting the house, we emphasise the importance of this building and its contents, and the efforts already made to preserve it," Diependaele said. "This magical universe of Panamarenko is preserved to continue to amaze us."
#FlandersNewsService | Panamarenko House in Antwerp © BELGA PHOTO TIJS VANDERSTAPPEN
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