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"Better to be ugly than to be boring" is written in the bio of the Instagram account 'Ugly Belgian Houses,' and the bold phrase is echoed in the pictures that it uploads.
Whether we're looking at a quirky color palette or strange shapes standing out in the landscape, the buildings featured on the account certainly challenge conventional architectural aesthetics.
The creator of the fun social media project, Hannes Coudenys, has been running it since 2012, but apparently, there's still no shortage of content.
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'Ugly Belgian Houses' has been growing non-stop and at the moment of this publication, 'Ugly Belgian Houses' has 174K followers on Instagram.
For our earlier publication on the account, Hannes told Bored Panda that there, in fact, is a problem with becoming too big, too fast, which resulted in some drama on his social media.
People have been clashing there because they have different opinions about experimental architecture and classical Belgian farm-style buildings. "I never wanted to shame experimental [buildings]," Hannes said.
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However, actively repeating the phrase and even putting it in his account's bio isn't stopping everyone from getting angry.
Coudenys said that some people have been trying to get in touch with him.
In another interview we had with him (yes, we love 'Ugly Belgian Houses' and we don't see ourselves stopping writing about it), the creator of the project also pointed out that his feed represents only a portion of the country's architectural scene.
He highlighted that there are also plenty of good examples. "I like the work of Gijs van Vaerenbergh, Vens-Vanbelle, De Vylder Vinck Taillieu, Vincent van Duysen," Coudenys explained.
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According to Coudenys, the variety is so colorful "because [local] regulations are quite liberal" and the citizens "love to design [their own] quirky dreamhouse."
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However, it's not like Coudenys is the first one who started questioning his country's construction tastes and habits. It's been going on for decades.
In the 1961 book 'The New Architecture of Europe,' American architect, author, educator, photographer, and prolific "builder" G.E. Kidder Smith wrote: "Of all European countries, Belgium is least to be excused for not contributing more to contemporary architecture."
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Deleting Windows frees up a lot of RAM, I'm sure. The only problem is if the RAM wants a room with a view.
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"Having a thoroughly literate and capable population and an extremely high living standard, the mediocrity of its architecture can be explained only by the indifference of its officials, the inadequacy of its educational system, and a flabby materialism," Kidder Smith said.
So hopefully people will cut 'Ugly Belgian Houses' some slack. After all, the account is approaching the topic from a positive perspective.
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GoldfishCrackers 11 months ago
Many times I feel brick should be left unpainted, however this right here seems like a perfect candidate for a fresh coat of paint.
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Direct translation: Everything is possible. Coffee can. Water can. But not balcony.
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Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 11 months ago
It can stick two completely different buildings together, with just one drop!
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Kobe (she) 11 months ago
That looks like a barn. Like; open in the backside to house tractors/machinery and so. It could have used some tiling or paint in the front to make it look less depressing. But, my guess - it is not a house.
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