Around the World in 200 Globes

The Dutch architect Willem Jan Neutelings (co-founder of Neutelings Riedijk Architects) is known as the architect of a/o the MAS in Antwerp and the Gare Maritime in Brussels. Few people know however that Neutelings is also an avid collector who, over the years, has built up a very extensive and also very specific collection of hundreds of globes, made between 1900 and 2000.

In this book, he presents his collection to the public for the first time. He selected 200 globes, each telling a unique story about the time and place in which they were created. Some globes bear witness to technological innovations by the way they were made, some show how advanced people’s knowledge of space was at the time, some were intended as navigational aids. Neutelings’ collection includes globes in cast iron, steel, wood and even paper. Some look very old and fragile, others are very colourful, and some even give off light. Each one is a beautiful and intriguing object that teaches us a lot about the ever-changing world view of mankind. This beautiful and skilfully crafted book is an ode to these stories, to the unique objects often produced by anonymous craftsmen and to the special dedication of collectors.