In 1893, architect Victor Horta finished constructing the first ever Art Nouveau house. The Tassel House, in an upmarket area of Saint-Gilles, is a unique historical monument and architecturally revolutionary. It is also close to other important Art Nouveau buildings, including Horta’s own house. What started in Brussels soon spread across Europe and to the United States.
The whimsical nature of Art Nouveau was seen not only in architecture, but in art, furniture, jewelry, glass design and interior design. For a period of only around 20 years it flourished as society rejected the heavy aesthetic of the 19th century. This love affair was shattered by the horrors of the First World War, the fanciful flowing lines of Art Nouveau were out of step with the times.
Inspired by the natural world, with graceful curving lines that seem to emulate growing vines, and often decorated with designs of leaves, flowers, insects and animals, Art Nouveau in practice often feels otherworldly. It’s pretty common to walk down a street in almost any district of Brussels and find Art Nouveau exteriors. Stepping through the door though, is often like walking into a luxurious and fantastical dreamscape.
For reasons that are still unclear, Brussels celebrated the 130 year anniversary of Horta’s Tassel House, and also the city’s status as the ‘Capital of Art Nouveau’, by dedicating 2023 as Art Nouveau Year. This included an Art Nouveau Pass to some of the most important buildings in the city – although sadly not the Stoclet Palace with its Gustav Klimt artwork – and to exhibitions that took place throughout the year.
Brussels is the epicentre of Art Nouveau, and has around 1,000 buildings that have Art Nouveau features, 200 of which are listed and given a degree of protection from unscrupulous developers. Not too long ago the city didn’t protect this heritage at all. In 1965, Horta’s glorious Maison du Peuple was demolished – ironically, the style had a revival in the 1960s just as Brussels sent in the demolition crews in a period known as Brusselization.
Brusselization is best described as indiscriminate urban development brought about by having lax planning laws, and moronic politicians and city planners displaying an utter disregard for the historical significance of the buildings being demolished, or the impact on local communities. It led to the wide scale destruction of historic sections of the city with no regard for the consequences – the disastrous ‘Manhattanisation’ of Brussels Nord in the 1970s is the most egregious example.
Sometimes houses that survived planned demolition, like La Maison Cauchie, became victims of neglect that verges on criminal damage. Built by Art Nouveau pioneer Paul Cauchie in 1905, it has an exquisite illustrated exterior and exposed metalwork, and an interior with delightful Sgraffito frescoes. By the 1960s though, it was dilapidated and scheduled for demolition to be replaced by a nondescript apartment block.
The tragedy is, it was in a terrible condition mostly because Cauchie’s wife, Lina, and then his daughter allowed it to deteriorate after his death. It was divided into apartments (and still is) and the Sgraffito frescoes were painted over. It’s unfathomable that this architectural masterpiece could be brought so low. Even years of work to repair it, with a team of dedicated volunteers running it, its condition today is still pitiful.
What appears to be a general Belgian disregard for their own heritage is unthinkable to someone who grew up in Britain. Not that it’s perfect (see The Crooked House), but the National Trust or English Heritage would have preserved La Maison Cauchie for future generations. Similarly, The Tassel House is an UNESCO World Heritage site, but also inaccessible to the public thanks to being offices today.
We visited La Maison Cauchie and three others – Hotel van Eetvelde, Maison Hannon and Maison Autrique – as part of the Art Nouveau Pass. They are magnificent. All but La Maison Cauchie have been lovingly restored and are true gems of the city. Other listed Art Nouveau buildings are also being restored but most are in private hands and aren’t open to the public. While those without protection remain in danger of Brusselization.
﹡Interior photo from La Maison Cauchie comes from www.admirable-facades.brussels/en
Notes from Camelid Country 
The Art Nouveau buildings are one of the things I really love about Brussels, and I do wonder why they are so neglected. Is it down to political lack of will, or the fact that they are so abundant that they are taken for granted? What is it? Oh, and I too would love to get inside Maison Stoclet. I used to pass by it regularly on the tram and was incredibly frustrated at the fact that it’s in private hands.
Mostly it seems to be an ideological rush to modernise regardless of communities or heritage, especially since Brussels wasn’t in charge of its own fate until the mid-80s when it became a region and could stop Flanders and Wallonia making all the decisions. Totally agree about Stoclet, they have a new virtual 3D ‘experience’ of the interior in the Musée Royal d’Art & d’Histoire – it’s extraordinary.
I’m also very fond of the work of Victor Horta, and I visited several of his buildings in Brussels, even publishing an article about them on my website.
I was surprised by how many buildings of that period in Brussels are by Horta, really beautiful especially the interiors.