Architecture in Brussel

Art-Nouveau in Brussels

Art-Nouveau is the architectural building style which Brussels is primarily known for. It was Victor Horta who built Hôtel Tassel in 1893 in Brussels, one of the very first Art-Nouveau houses ever built. Horta continued to dominate the space thereafter, and is even considered the inventor of the style by other grandmasters such as Parisian architect Hector Guimard.

Despite a lot of Art-Nouveau houses already being demolished, Brussels still holds over 500 Art-Nouveau buildings. House Tassel is of course one worth visiting, the masterpiece on which Horta applied his ideas for the first time. There is also Horta’s own house in which he lived and had his workspace. And, to only name one more, Maison Saint-Cyr, one of the most extravagant examples of Art-Nouveau architecture that can be found.

Art-Nouveau seeks to unify architecture, furnishings, and art in the interior in a common style. It branched out of the ‘Arts and crafts’ philosophy, which was a reaction to the mass production of products that came with the industrial revolution in the 1850’s.

The industrial revolution allowed ordinary people to buy products that had been far too expensive before. Suddenly, luxury products and art were copied and distributed at affordable prices.The arts and crafts movement, which was a philosophy more than a style, wished to bring back craftsmanship. It insisted on creating beautiful, handmade, quality products.

The Art-Nouveau movement developed itself throughout Europe, a style that did not wish to copy any styles of the past and it inspired itself on nature. Yet, since there were differences in execution depending on geographics, it was only called Art-Nouveau in France and Belgium.

Art-Deco

In Brussels we are extremely lucky to not only be home to some of the greatest Art-Nouveau houses, but some of the most renowned Art-Deco buildings as well. The Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann had a notable influence on the Art-Deco movement. His masterpiece, the Stoclet Palace is one of the most luxurious private houses of the 20^th century, and built in Brussels. The building is considered a prototype to the Art-Deco style. Adolphe Stoclet gave Hoffmann ‘carte blanche’, an unlimited budget to create. The result is an extravagant villa, far too large to be called a house. As is typical for Art-Deco, its volumes are geometric and the buildings use luxurious materials such as large marble plaques.  Art-Deco was a style for the rich. Where the exteriors would be visually pleasing and simple, the interiors would be lavish.

It is unfortunate that only few people are allowed to visit the Stoclet Palace each year. Luckily, other Art-Deco buildings are spread through the city that can be visited. One of the finest masterpieces being the Villa Empain. It was commissioned by Baron Louis Empain in 1930 when he was only 21 years old. This monumental villa uses many luxurious materials such as marble, polished granite and precious woods. Its design is beautiful with an interior luxurious, spacious and filled with light that streams in through the glass windows. The villa received a complete restoration in 2011 and has been open to the public since.

There is also one of the most popular bars in the Brussels city center named l’Archiduc. The bar’s Art-Deco architecture is much more modest than the two previous examples, yet incredibly classy and has a vivid history. As a bar, it has been incredibly important in Brussels’ jazz history. Jazz musicians came from everywhere around the world to play here, and it was home to other great musicians such as Jacques Brel. Today, still, l’Archiduc organizes many events and concerts. It tirelessly continues to serve as this incredibly classy bar that creates incredible experiences.

When visiting Brussels for its architecture

Brussels holds many hidden gems. Just as with its history, you need to look underneath what’s clearly displayed on the surface. Make no mistake, we are very proud of our ‘Grand Place’. The brilliant Neo-Gothic style Kings House that’s built there, as well as the lavish baroque guild houses surrounding the square. We recommend you to follow us to the Renaissance styled halls of Sint-Géry and the RoyalGallery of Saint Hubert, a shopping arcane for the bourgeoisie that was built to replace the ill-lit alleyways of before.

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There are plenty more stories and places to visit. The hidden gems however, are what make Brussels unique and unforgettable. If you’d like, we would love to show you around.