Photo

Photos identify, study and document buildings. They register the built environment and record an evolving, transient or bygone reality. Visual material occupies an important place in the collection of the Flanders Architecture Institute. It consists of negatives, slides, prints and films, both in black and white and in colour.

For architectural historians, photographs are a natural and indispensable part of their studies. They provide information about moments of interest, such as exhibitions, fairs, trips or meetings. The medium can also be used artistically, when photographs showcase the architectural qualities of a building or are in themselves art objects.

Photo
"Our collection comprises about some 15,000 photos, negatives and slides."
‐ Wim Luyckx, collection manager

Collection Library

Would you like to consult an archive?

Monday to Friday: from 9am to 5pm
Preferably by appointment
Weekends and Holidays: Closed
Closed: 23.12.2024-01.01.2025


The archive can be visited in groups. Requests for this need to be made at least 3 weeks in advance via architectuurarchief@vai.be.


Plan your visit

Archive Hub

Search and find archives within and outside the VAi Collection on the VAi Archive Hub


To the Archive Hub (Dutch only)

VAi Library

Browse through more than 10,000 books in our richly stocked library


To the catalog (Dutch only)