inside art nouveau

 
Horta leveraged the properties of the industrial materials to lighten the load-bearing structures and maximise space and light. These materials were complemented by white and blue limestone, brick, cast iron (for the columns) and wrought iron (for the railings).

The design was unprecedented, featuring some 40 rooms spread over five floors. As well as various shops accessible from the street, the ground floor was home to a vast coffee lounge with room for 800 people. The weight of the upper floors was borne entirely by the flat-groin vault structure of the coffee lounge, which had a span of 16 metres and was supported by columns. The upper floors were reached by an imposing staircase and an additional pair of curved staircases, as well as by a lift. A space on the third floor serving as a ballroom, meeting room and performing arts venue, with its cantilevered side galleries and ultra-lightweight frame, was truly a tour de force for that period. The panoramic terrace provides views right across Brussels. Inaugurated with great fanfare on 2 and 3 April 1899, the building was soon updated to meet new needs.

Despite protests and the widespread disapproval of architects and historians the world over, this masterpiece of Belgian Art Nouveau was demolished. Some elements were stored with a view to a potential reconstruction, but were then dispersed and lost.

A recent 3D model attempting to recreate the building gives you the chance to experience the complex for yourself in virtual reality.