architecten design dmva hotel one room
Aug 16, 2025
Karl van Es

dmvA Architecten Design One Room Hotel in Antwerp

[caption id="attachment_8594" align="alignnone" width="1615"]One Room Hotel by dmvA Architecten © Bart Gosselin[/caption]

ONE ROOM HOTEL | dmvA ARCHITECTEN

Antwerp, Belgium

Concept: Infinity staircase

Description provided by dmvA Architecten. The owner of this ‘tiny house’, dating back from the 17th century, close to the Museum MAS in Antwerp, decided to convert it into the smallest hotel from Antwerp, the One Room Hotel.

  [caption id="attachment_8595" align="alignnone" width="1157"]One Room Hotel by dmvA Architecten © Bart Gosselin[/caption]  

‘Proménade architecturale’

From outside the white plastered house looks to have a rectangular floor plan, but in reality, it is L-shaped. The space behind the 17th-century corner house was added later and is now used for service functions. The historical part is dedicated to pure residential / hotel.

  [caption id="attachment_8596" align="alignnone" width="1600"]One Room Hotel by dmvA Architecten © Bart Gosselin[/caption]  

The open staircases wind through the house like an ‘architectural promenade’ ending up in the white patio where an infinity staircase looks over the city.

  [caption id="attachment_8597" align="alignnone" width="1769"]One Room Hotel by dmvA Architecten © Bart Gosselin[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8598" align="alignnone" width="2200"]One Room Hotel by dmvA Architecten © Bart Gosselin[/caption]  

Replacing parts of the wooden floors by glass tiles create diagonal views, enlarging the ‘one-room’ effect and the sense of one open space.

  [caption id="attachment_8599" align="alignnone" width="2259"]One Room Hotel by dmvA Architecten © Bart Gosselin[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8600" align="alignnone" width="1859"]One Room Hotel by dmvA Architecten © Bart Gosselin[/caption]  

Historic versus new, wood versus white

Based on a design attitude of honesty and reversibility, all existing historical construction parts are painted white. Recently added elements like entrance door, stairs and terrace are executed in wood and are therefore clearly recognizable.

  [caption id="attachment_8601" align="alignnone" width="2250"]One Room Hotel by dmvA Architecten © Bart Gosselin[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8602" align="alignnone" width="1676"]One Room Hotel by dmvA Architecten © Bart Gosselin[/caption]  

The difference in color and materiality emphasizes the synergy between old and new and creates a calm, warm and timeless atmosphere.

  [caption id="attachment_8603" align="alignnone" width="1481"]One Room Hotel by dmvA Architecten © Bart Gosselin[/caption]  

Project Details

Design: dmvA Principal: Weiss-Vanderhoeven Team: David Driesen, Tom Verschueren, Jolien Debaets Location: Antwerpen General contractor: Colmat Structural engineer: ASB Built area: 103 m2 Completion: 2015 Photography: Bart Gosselin