Brussels - art nouveau and art deco architecture
Art Nouveau and Art Deco are two revolutionary movements in art and design that developed at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Brussels is home to outstanding architectural examples of both styles. Buildings recently restored to their former glory and opened to visitors have instantly become major tourist attractions.
Art Nouveau came first, lasting roughly from 1880 to 1914. Art Deco followed later, after the end of the First World War. The first style was free, somewhat carefree and capricious, while the second was more serious and sharper-edged, bound up with the post-war celebration of the end of the conflict. Yet Art Nouveau and Art Deco have a great deal in common: both movements originated in Europe, and each responded in its own way to the Industrial Revolution. Both styles grew from relatively modest beginnings, eventually spread all over the world and influenced many fields, from book illustration and painting to architecture, stained glass and jewellery.
Art Nouveau - the Horta Museum and Maison Hannon
In Brussels you will find buildings created for the wealthy bourgeoisie as well as for clients with smaller budgets. Victor Horta specialised in commissions of the first kind, while Paul Hankar favoured the second. An outstanding example of this architecture in Brussels is Victor Horta's own house and studio. The architect bought two adjoining plots and built on them between 1898 and 1901. Today the building is home to the 'Horta Museum', whose attractive façade conceals interiors and furnishings created in the spirit of Art Nouveau. In June 2023 the work of another architect, Jules Brunfaut, was opened to visitors. This is the house he built for Mr and Mrs Hannon, which now operates as 'Maison Hannon'. Even though visitor numbers have to be limited, it has already drawn more than 20,000 guests since the day it opened.
The Art Nouveau style can be recognised by its richly organic, flowing shapes and forms. They are usually elongated and exaggerated to heighten their dramatic effect. Nature was the main source of inspiration, and many designers imitated the curves and lines of plants and flowers. Fluidity and continuity are key elements of Art Nouveau. The style boldly embraced metal elements, which became visible and decorative. Art Nouveau stained glass is still enchanting today.
A short distance from the Horta Museum stands an interesting building that came from Paul Hankar's studio. Its boldly designed façade may offer a foretaste of what lies within. Because the interior houses the Embassy of Argentina, it is not currently open to visitors.
Art Deco - the BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts
Art Deco is defined by an entirely different aesthetic - angular shapes and polished surfaces. It was a style inspired by technology that borrowed the language of industry, with vertical lines, zigzags and rectilinear forms. Art Deco also made use of the most modern materials, such as stainless steel, aluminium and glass, often polished to a high shine to emphasise an ultra-modern look. Interestingly, Art Deco also drew on much older references, especially the tiered architecture of Babylon, ancient Egypt and the legacy of the Aztecs in Mexico.
Victor Horta proved his architectural genius by following the fashion of the day and adapting the experience he had gained on Art Nouveau buildings to designs in the Art Deco aesthetic. In the very centre of Brussels stands the BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts. Its monumental mass has classical proportions and conceals a refined interior that includes several underground levels. Another example of this style is Brussels Central Station.
Brussels is responding to the growing interest in its Art Nouveau and Art Deco heritage. More and more pieces of architecture are being restored to their former glory, and exhibitions of everyday objects and jewellery are being staged. Special city routes have also been prepared, taking in the finest examples of both styles.
