Hôtel Frison

1894 Victor Horta

Rue Lebeau 37 | Bruxelles

Ch. Bastin & J. Evrard © urban.brussels
Interior glass roof (photo ca 1990)
Ch. Bastin & J. Evrard © urban.brussels
Foot of the staircase, entrance hall (photo ca 1990)
Architecture & Decoration, 1903, pl57
Dining room (photo ca 1903)
© KIK-IRPA, Brussels
Detail of wallpaper, staircase (ca 1894-1900)
Horta Museum Archives, Saint-Gilles
Winter garden, bel étage or main floor, garden-facing side (old photo)
© KIK-IRPA, Brussels
Stained glass window, front door, entrance hall (ca 1894)
© KIK-IRPA, Brussels
Façade (photo 1894)
Ch. Bastin & J. Evrard © urban.brussels
Floor mosaic, entrance hall (photo ca 1990)

This private mansion bears the name of the person who commissioned it, the lawyer Maurice Frison, and was designed by his friend, the famous architect Victor Horta. The style of this residence, one of Horta’s early creations, is primarily characterised by curves and ironwork, and from the outset it was already very different from the other façades surrounding it.


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The wrought iron balconies are made up of sinuous lines that represent plant motifs;  these are the celebrated “whiplash lines”. The loggia on the second floor appears to emerge gently from the façade rather than protruding from it. Horta had drawn attention to the window of the lawyer’s office (which has now been replaced by a shop window). As can be seen in the archive photo, he had designed a single bay and supported the loads with two slender, beautifully decorated cast iron columns.

Horta paid particular attention to the penetration of light into the heart of the house. He created a splendid winter garden made entirely of coloured stained glass, which introduces light into the dining room and extends as far as the antechamber.
All of the walls and ceilings were decorated with the sinuous lines that are so characteristic of Horta’s work (these are not visible today as they are covered with a thick coat of paint). However, the newel post at the foot of the staircase is still in place; this is one of Horta’s masterpieces and is virtually a sculpture in its own right.

Nearby

By the same architect