Biography

Flemish architect, master builder and stonemason, son of Jan II Keldermans. He lived in Lier but moved to Mechelen around 1469, where he was - like his father - court architect and city architect.

From 1439 he worked together with his father at the Leuven City Hall and from 1443 at the Sint-Gummaruskerk in Lier, where he executed the sculptures in both cases as a stonemason.

Andries I became an architect in 1450 and only then got the role of chief architect at the large tower of the St Rumbold Cathedral, for which the foundation works had already started after the death of his father. In 1452 he finally received the title of Mechelen City Architect.

He realized his first large project of his own in 1454 with the construction of the Sint-Lievens Monsterkerk in Zierikzee. In 1470 he designed the plans for the St. Lawrence Church in Alkmaar and he also worked on the Middelburg Town Hall and in 1471 on the Grote Kerk in Bergen op Zoom.

Andries I is considered to be one of the greatest Netherlandish architects of the 15th century and the creator of the Keldermans style, typical for works delivered by the Keldermans master builders.