The Wolfers store and workshops

Victor Horta worked with goldsmith Philippe Wolfers and designed his store, which was located in the rue d’Arenberg, then a chic shopping area, in the shadow of the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula.

EXTERIOR

The design of the façade is not very expressive, but one has to admire the elegant precision of its lines, from the undulating cornice above the first floor to the impressive, enormous columns on the fourth floor. The entire ground floor, where the silverware and jewellery were displayed in the shop window, is made of pure black granite especially imported from Sweden.

INTERIORS

Horta had to take the requirements of Wolfers and his artisans into account. They needed two interior areas crowned with skylights to provide the workshops with sufficient light.

Unfortunately, the store’s furniture is no longer present (it is kept at the Royal Museums of Art and History, to which it was given by the Wolfers family).  However, as you enter, you can still see the beautiful staircase that led to elegant showrooms reserved for wealthy customers. You can likewise still see the stained glass windows, the Carrera marble staircases and their gilded railings. The walls of the showroom on the first floor are entirely covered in Lyon silk.