Frans Van Dijk

Frans Van Dijk (11 October 1853, Berchem – 20 February 1939, Merksem) was born in 1853 in Berchem, a southern district and municipality of Antwerp. He was an apprentice, trainee and collaborator of architect from 1870 to 1881. Van Dijk was a jury member for the Prix de Rome (Architecture Department) from 1893 to 1901, and professor of architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp from 1902 until 1923.

In the 1880s he designed the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp with Jean-Jacques Winders. In 1890, he made the first designs for the Sugar Refinery Peten. In 1899 he designed the neo-Baroque Grand Hôtel Métropole on Leysstraat in Antwerp, which is an example of his mature oeuvre. In 1901, Van Dijk was commissioned the ensemble De Biekens in Cogels-Osylei in Berchem by the Naamlooze Maatschappij voor het Bouwen van Burgershuizen of the Oostkwartier. Van Dijk built several mansions in Cogels-Osylei, including Scaldis, an eclectic group of houses, and Baldwin Iron Arm, some of the most notable houses in Zurenborg. Since the 1880s, Van Dijk also completed several works in the Neoclassical style across Antwerp. He designed the Saint Michael and Saint Peter's Church, built between 1893 and 1897 in Antwerp with a nave with columns of Vånevik granite from the Kalmar coast.

Between 1903 and 1904, he built the De Spieghel on the Grote Markt of Antwerp in neo-Gothic style. The building, first mentioned in the 14th century, was completely demolished by the owner Eugène Kreglinger and rebuilt according to a design by Van Dijk and Michel De Braey. The same year he realized the eclectic ensemble De Twaalf Apostelen ("The Twelve Apostles") on Transvaalstraat in Berchem and made a design for Villa Cleibs in Schoten. In 1909 he was commissioned a mansion on Jan Van Rijswijcklaan by Eugeen Coveliers, which was designed in Neo-Louis XVI style.

Frans Van Dijk and his son Henri (also an architect) are buried in the Antwerp cemetery Schoonselhof (Hoboken), on perk 4 (South side).

Selected works 1884–1890: Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp with Jean-Jacques Winders 1893–1897: Saint Michael and Saint Peter's Church in Antwerp 1899: Grand Hôtel Métropole on Leysstraat in Antwerp 1922–1923: Bank of Commerce in Antwerp with Henri Van Dijk and Joseph Hertogs 1901: La Métropole on Leysstraat in Antwerp 1901: De Biekens on Cogels-Osylei in Berchem 1902: Brasserie-concert Oud België on Kipdorpvest in Antwerp 1903: House group Scaldis in Cogels-Osylei 1903–1904: De Spieghel on the Grote Markt of Antwerp 1906: Villa Cleibs in Schoten, Antwerp 1906: Den Arend on the Grote Markt of Antwerp 1906: German evangelical nursing home on Lange Winkelstraat in Antwerp 1906: Ensemble The Twelve Apostles on Transvaalstraat in Antwerp 1907: Antwerp Mortgage Fund on Huidevettersstraat in Antwerp 1907: Eclectic house on Van Putlei in Antwerp 1909: Neo-Louis XVI style mansion on Jan Van Rijswijcklaan in Antwerp