Lucien Brull Desk – Charles Vandenhove

• Charles Vandenhove Desk designed for the Students’ Residence of the Lucien Brull Residence in Liège, in 1967.
• Solid afzelia structure, linoleum-covered top, two-drawer multiplex cabinet.
• Bibliography: University of Liège brochure for the construction of the Lucien Brull university residence, October 1967, Desoer Imprimeur.
• These modernist pieces are accompanied by their matching stools: Charles Vandenhove stools.
• Dimensions: W 110 × D 65 × H 74 cm.
• Drawers: D 37 × H 9 cm.
• Document holder: usable depth 64 cm.
• Numerous signs of use on the top, consistent with age (see photos).

Charles Vandenhove and the Lucien Brull Residence

This Charles Vandenhove desk was designed for the Maison des Étudiants of the Lucien Brull Residence in Liège, around 1960. Conceived for an emblematic part of Liège’s university life, it reflects a clear design approach: functionality, legibility of lines, and enhancement of the material.

Trained at Saint-Luc Liège and then La Cambre, Charles Vandenhove followed in the footsteps of post-war modernism. Close to figures like Victor Bourgeois, he developed an architecture attentive to usage from the 1950s onwards, in reaction to an overly theoretical vision of the modern movement.

This Charles Vandenhove desk model exemplifies this approach: a rational construction, designed to last, where structure and design are balanced without superfluous effect. It is a documented model, originating from an identified architectural program.

A rare piece, directly linked to Liège’s architectural history, representative of 20th-century Belgian design.

Excerpt from the Lucien Brull University Residence brochure

Excerpt from the Lucien Brull University Residence brochure