Hortamuseum
The 'Maison & Atelier Horta', former home of the leading exponent of Art Nouveau architecture, Victor Horta (1861-1947).
Similar studio museums...
- 2 Willow Road, United Kingdom - a Modernist home designed and inhabited by the architect Ernö Goldfinger (1902-1987)
- Nolde Museum, Germany - Bauhaus-inspired architecture in the marshes, the former studio of Emil Nolde (1867-1956)
Feature List
- Guided Tours
Victor Horta built this house and studio on 23-25 Rue Américaine in 1898-1901, when he was at the height of his powers, having previously designed the Art Nouveau Hôtel Tassel (1893) and Hôtel Solvay (1895-1900). Like these earlier buildings, the Hortamuseum is typical of Art Nouveau design in its open plan, use of interior iron and glass, diffusion of light and its curved lines inspired by the natural world, later dubbed 'biomorphic whiplash'.
Preserved as a museum in 1969, the studio re-opened following an extensive restoration programme in 2006. Visitors are now able to view Horta's full interior decoration, mosaics, stained glass and wall decorations, while an extensive archive includes material relating to Horta's life and work.
