Friday Five With Bram Vanderbeke: Finding Inspiration In Ancient Ruins And Architecture
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Design Milk’s Friday Five profile examines how Bram Vanderbeke translated Lore Van Keer’s Anthology jewelry into a sculptural side table/stool. The made-to-order piece layers cast concrete and aluminum, drawing on Vanderbeke’s interest in ancient ruins, Isamu Noguchi’s architecture and his own brick-based work.

Design Milk’s Friday Five profile of Belgian artist and designer Bram Vanderbeke details how ancient ruins, architectural forms and a jewelry collection informed the Anthology Side Table/Stool, made with jeweler Lore Van Keer. The made-to-order furniture piece combines alternating layers of cast concrete and aluminum, bringing Vanderbeke’s interest in structure and material into a functional object.

Van Keer invited Vanderbeke to interpret her Anthology jewelry collection as furniture. He said the stacked shapes and the collection’s use of circles and hexagons gave him a starting point. In particular, he looked to Van Keer’s Anthology 10 ring, translating its rhythm of forms into a three-dimensional side table or stool.

The piece is part of the LVK x BV collection, which pairs a silver necklace with the sculptural stool. Design Milk reports that the jewelry and furniture are produced in limited editions of 20 and eight pieces, respectively. Each stool is handcrafted in Vanderbeke’s Belgian atelier using a new mold, so the resulting pieces are unique. It is designed for indoor or outdoor use and made to order.

Vanderbeke also drew on Isamu Noguchi’s work for the former lobby of 666 Fifth Avenue in New York. Design Milk says the designer revisited Noguchi’s monograph A Sculptor’s World, which features the building’s layered aluminum ceiling and waterfall. The layered ceiling helped inform the construction of the Anthology piece.

At a glance
reportWhen: Published in Design Milk’s Friday Five;…
The developmentDesign Milk published a Friday Five interview with Belgian designer Bram Vanderbeke about the inspirations behind his Anthology Side Table/Stool collaboration with jeweler Lore Van Keer.

From Jewelry Forms to Furniture

The collaboration shows how a designer can carry visual ideas across disciplines without simply enlarging an existing object. Vanderbeke translated the stacked geometry of Van Keer’s ring into furniture, then developed it through materials and references from his own practice. The result sits between a stool, side table and sculptural object, reflecting his interest in how objects relate to their surroundings and users.

For readers following collectible design, the project also illustrates the role of small-batch, made-to-order production. The reported edition of eight furniture pieces is limited, while the new mold used for each stool means the concrete-and-aluminum layers vary. The profile describes a particular design process; it does not provide pricing, sales figures or evidence of broader commercial impact.

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Ruins, Noguchi and Brickwork

Vanderbeke’s references extend beyond the jewelry collaboration. He told Design Milk that excavations and ruins, especially the stacked shapes and textures of Roman columns, are recurring sources of inspiration. The profile connects this interest to his Cast Bricks collection, which also influenced the Anthology furniture piece.

His approach has roots in hands-on making. As a child, Vanderbeke wanted to become a bricklayer; he later studied woodwork and construction, design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, and at Design Academy Eindhoven. His Brick Chair uses arranged bricks to form negative spaces that act as molds, recalling construction methods and the foundations of a building.

Vanderbeke also cited Insel Hombroich, a museum and sculpture park in Neuss, Germany, as a lasting influence. He said visiting in different seasons showed him how shifts in the landscape changed the experience of the place. Design Milk’s profile notes other recent work, including designs for the reopened museum shop at Design Museum Gent and commissions for Bottega Veneta, Kelly Wearstler, Pieter Mulier and Van Keer. It also reports that Vanderbeke cofounded Belgian collectible design group Brut Collective in 2018.

““I’m always inspired by excavations and ruins,” especially “the rough stacked shapes of the Roman columns and their textures.””

— Bram Vanderbeke, speaking to Design Milk

What the Profile Leaves Open

The Design Milk report does not give a publication date, price or ordering details for the Anthology Side Table/Stool. It also does not say whether all eight furniture pieces have been sold, how long production takes, or whether further editions are planned. The article describes the work and its inspirations but does not include independent market data or responses from buyers.

The source identifies other commissions and exhibitions, including the group exhibition Cavea, but does not supply full dates or current availability for those projects. Those details should not be inferred from the profile.

Availability and Future Editions

The piece is described as made to order, but the report gives no next sales date or ordering channel. Readers interested in availability would need to check with Vanderbeke, Van Keer or their representatives. No announcement of a new edition or follow-up project is included in the source material.

For now, the development is the publication of a design interview that documents how the collaboration took shape, rather than a launch announcement with a newly stated release schedule. Any updates on stock, pricing or additional production remain unreported.

Key Questions

What is the Anthology Side Table/Stool?

It is a sculptural furniture piece designed by Bram Vanderbeke in collaboration with Belgian jeweler Lore Van Keer. It can be used as a side table or stool.

What materials are used?

The piece is made from alternating layers of cast concrete and aluminum. Each is handcrafted using a new mold, according to Design Milk.

What inspired the design?

Vanderbeke drew on Van Keer’s Anthology 10 ring, Isamu Noguchi’s layered architecture, ancient Roman columns and elements of his own Cast Bricks work.

How many furniture pieces are in the edition?

Design Milk reports a limited edition of eight furniture pieces. The profile does not state whether any remain available or provide pricing.

Is the piece intended for outdoor use?

Yes. The report says the made-to-order stool/table is designed for indoor or outdoor use; it does not provide further care or installation guidance.

Source: design-milk.com

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