Private luxury project - South of France.
Bringing Tibet’s nomadic sail sculptures to our world TEXT: MICHIEL STOL | PHOTO: ROBERT DE WILDE
Human beings lived nomadically for centuries. In some parts of the world, like Tibet, the nomads still have their traditional way of life, moving to find the best places for their animals and families. They take coverage from the elements in beautiful surroundings under unique sails with brocade. This unique architecture inspires Amandus VanQuaille in his work today as an architect and founder of Nomad Concept. “I had the chance to travel to Tibet and Nepal during my college years,” says VanQuaille. “After college and an internship with Belgian landscape architect Jacques Wirtz, who designed the gardens at the Louvre and the Élyseé in Paris, I lived in Tibet for seven years where I studied and helped renovate Buddhist temples. I also lived and travelled with Tibetan nomads.” Life in Tibet is like it was in Europe back in medieval times, says VanQuaille. With their bastions, the nomads created their own architecture. Their sails woven from 16 | Issue 30 | June 2016
the wool of sheep and yaks formed all kinds of tents that blended with the surroundings, and were able to give shelter. “I wanted to bring that concept to the rest of the world. This is where the name comes from: Nomad Concept.”
Private, public and corporate projects Back in Belgium, VanQuaille started to design sail sculptures for events, like Pukkelpop and Rock Werchter. “Later we started to design for private clients and companies. We have designed sculptures for the headquarters of Microsoft, Price-
Phylosophus sail, a creation by VanQuaille - Tibet.
waterhouseCoopers and media company De Persgroep in Belgium. Our private clients are located all over the world, from Hollywood to Monaco.” The mix of private clients and companies makes it very challenging for VanQuaille. “A lot of companies want to create added value for their employees by providing them a nice, beautiful place under a sail sculpture in an open space. From that point of view, the creative process starts.” The landscape is usually the influential factor. VanQuaille: “The surroundings and the environment of the desired sail sculpture is what inspires me to create the perfect shapes. It has to be in synch with the landscape, connecting the indoors and the outdoors. The client’s wishes can make it a challenge sometimes, but we like that.” Nomad Concept has one main focus - top quality. All the materials used by Nomad Concept are the best in the market and have a very small carbon footprint. “We use 100 per cent PTFE (Teflon) textile, which can last from 30 to 50 years. The