The esteemed 10 recognises influential voices in the multidisciplinary design community in 2025. Criterion is based on approach, notable achievements and completed and anticipated projects.
This piece originally appeared in est magazine issue 55: ‘Faces of Design’.
Destroyers/Builders
Founder Linde Freya Tangelder
Brussels & Antwerp, Belgium
My design work is best summed up as:
I love architectural elements from different cultures and eras, inspiring my sculptural architectural furniture.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
The tactile details; how something is made and what the material is.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
My travel to Mumbai for my next solo show at Aequo Gallery. Design is something hidden in so many details and often unseen. It should also not be forced; it should come naturally.
Design can show in other ways what nature already taught us. Often, a design can relate to many origins; for me it is my background, my current findings and my future vision in one image.
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi is always my inspiration, connecting many levels of society through powerful buildings that never grow old.
The three words I would most like people to attribute to my work are:Sculptural, architectural, tactile.
What is the one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
Be patient; keep your inner focus.
"Sculptural, architectural, tactile"
– Founder Linde Freya Tangelder
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
My main inspirations come from art and architecture, which is important to me as I love to look further than my main discipline.
The boundaries can be more fluid. The most impressive interior design projects, for me, are those where the owner is able to translate their personal collection and preferences through art, treasures, colour, textures, and design pieces as a whole, while leaving space for the new.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
More personality, dare to do differently. Less trendy choices and repetition.