Copyright applies to the books (Antwerp)

Art and architecture bookstore Copyright on Nationalestraat will close its doors from June 1. The Fashion Museum will then give the building a new purpose.

After 28 years, the well-known art and architecture bookstore Copyright by Hilde Peleman and Johan Boeykens is closing down in Antwerp. However, the store in Ghent where the Copyright story began in 1983 and the online bookshop will continue to exist.

“After more than 40 years in the book trade, we want to take it a bit easier,” says Hilde Peleman. “Corona and the temporary closures of MoMu had already made us think. Two shops and the daily commute and traffic jams between Ghent and Antwerp started to weigh on us.”

“The fact that our friends Zeno “But there is no question of a complete stop yet.”

Copyright is known as a specialized bookstore with a special selection of books about art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, graphic design and lifestyle. Through their webshop, Copyright also profiles itself as an ambassador for Belgian art and architecture books abroad.

Design by Duysen

The store in Nationalestraat, which is part of ModeNatie, was designed by the famous Antwerp architect Vincent Van Duysen. “Five years before we moved into that building, Vincent had already designed a smaller bookstore for us in the Haarstraat. He also converted two houses into a small bookshop. We had known Vincent since the 1980s when he studied architecture in Ghent and bought his books from us.”

In the minimalist interior in the Nationalestraat, the large glass pivot door and the Spanish emperador marble in the floor are particularly striking on two floors. The property also has fixed furniture. “The Fashion Museum will take care of the space later,” says MoMu spokesperson David Flamée. “We cannot reveal anything about the new interpretation at this time.”

Copyright’s Antwerp branch will close its doors permanently from June 1, 2024. From May 1 to 22, the bookstore is organizing a stock sale with a 50 to 70% discount.