Belgium and Luxembourg (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

The southern suburbs of Brussels grew rapidly in the

late 19th century as wealthy industrialists commis-

sioned grand new town mansions, or hôtels, from a

new generation of architects. After 1895, Art Nouveau

was the most fashionable style in Ixelles and St-Gilles,

pioneered by Victor Horta (1861–1947) who built his

house here. Much of Brussels’s Art Nouveau heritage

was lost over the next 60 years, until its revival in the

1960s, making these rare survivors more precious.

Art Nouveau Tour 5

82 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION

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500

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KEY

Walk route

TIPS FOR WALKERS

Starting point: Hôtel Hannon,

on the corner of Avenue de la

Jonction and Avenue Brugmann.

Distance: About 3 km (2 miles).

Getting there: Tram 3, 90, 91,

92; Bus 54. Return to the city

from Avenue Louise: Tram 93, 94.

Walking time: 40 minutes, but

allow 3 hours for sightseeing.

Cafés and restaurants: This is a

residential area, but cafés and res-

taurants are present on the route.

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  Hôtel Hannon 1
  Now a photo gallery, this was
  built by Jules Brunfaut (1852–

1942. for engin eer and photo-
      grapher, Édouard Hannon.
      Musée Horta 2
      Horta’s home and
      studio (see p80) is a
      master piece of Art
      Nouveau design.
      Rue Defacqz 71 3
      In 1894, architect Paul Hankar
      (1859–1901) designed his house
      in eclectic style, using a variety of
      models. There are indicators here
      of the evolving Art Nouveau style.
      Hôtel Ciamberlani 4
      Paul Hankar built this house at Rue
      Defacqz 48 for the Symbolist Albert
      Ciamberlani in 1897, with murals,
      ironwork and large round windows.
      Rue Faider 83 5
      A draughtsman from Horta’s
      studio, Albert Roosenboom
      (1871–1943) designed this
      classic Art Nouveau façade
      in 1906, full of organic,
      counterintuitive shapes.
      Hôtel Tassel 6
      The first Art Nouveau
      building (1893–5) was
      designed by Victor Horta
      for a private client at Rue
      Paul-Émile Janson 6.
      Hôtel Solvay 7
      A relatively restrained Horta
      building at Avenue Louise
      224, this was built between
      1894 and 1898 for the indus-
      trial magnate Ernest Solvay.
      Quartier des Étangs 8
      Around Rue de Vilain XIV, Rue
      de la Vallée and Rue de Bellevue,
      there are a number of notable Art
      Nouveau houses, many designed
      by Ernest Blérot (1870–1957).
      For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp263 and pp286–7