Victor Horta
Encyclopedia
Victor, Baron Horta was a Belgian
architect
and designer. John Julius Norwich
described him as "undoubtedly the key European Art Nouveau
architect." Indeed, Horta is one of the most important names in Art Nouveau architecture; the construction of his Hôtel Tassel
in Brussels
in 1892-3 means that he is sometimes credited as the first to introduce the style to architecture
from the decorative art
s. The French architect Hector Guimard
was deeply influenced by Horta and further spread the "whiplash" style in France and abroad. In rejecting historical styles and embracing new materials, Horta laid the foundations for modern architecture
.
In 1932 King Albert I of Belgium
conferred on Horta the title of Baron for his services to architecture. Four of the buildings he designed
have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
, Horta was first attracted to the architectural profession when he helped his uncle on a building site at the age of twelve.
Horta had had a great interest in music since childhood and, in 1873, went to study musical theory at the Ghent Conservatory. After being expelled for bad behaviour he joined the Department of Architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent
instead. In 1878 Horta left for Paris
, finding work with architect and designer Jules Debuysson in Montmartre
. There he was inspired by the emerging impressionist
and pointillist
artists, and also by the possibilities of working in iron
and glass
.
When Horta's father died in 1880, he returned to Belgium and moved to Brussels
, married his first wife, with whom he later fathered two daughters, and went to study architecture at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
. In Brussels Horta built a friendship with Paul Hankar
, who would later also embrace Art Nouveau. Horta did well in his studies and was taken on as an assistant by his professor Alphonse Balat
, architect to Leopold II of Belgium
. Together they designed the royal Greenhouses of Laeken, Horta's first work to utilise glass and iron.
In 1884 Horta won the first Prix Godecharle
to be awarded for Architecture (for his unbuilt design for Parliament), as well as the Grand Prix in architecture on leaving the Royal Academy.
By 1885 Horta was working on his own and was commissioned to design three house
s which were built that year. The same year he also joined the Central Society of Belgian Architecture. Over the next few years he entered a number of competitions for public work, and collaborated with sculptors (notably his friend Godefroid Devresse) on statuary and even tomb
s, winning a number of prizes. He focused on the curvature
of his designs, believing that the forms he produced were highly practical and not artistic affectations.
During this period, Horta socialised widely and, in 1888, joined the freemasons as a member of the lodge Les Amis Philanthropes of the Grand Orient of Belgium
in Brussels. This ensured a stream of clients when he returned to designing house
s and shops from 1893.
Horta was appointed Head of Graphic Design for Architecture at the Université Libre de Bruxelles
in 1892, before being promoted to Professor of Architecture in 1893, a post he left in 1911 after the university authorities failed to offer him the opportunity to design an extension to the university buildings.
, completed in 1893. The design had a groundbreaking semi open-plan floor layout for a house of the time, and incorporated interior iron structure with curvilinear botanical forms, later described as “biomorphic whiplash”. Ornate and elaborate designs and natural lighting were concealed behind a stone façade to harmonize the building with the more rigid houses next door. The building has since been recognised as the first appearance of Art Nouveau in architecture.
After receiving great acclaim for his designs, Horta was commissioned to complete many other important buildings throughout Brussels. Enhancing this new architectural style, Horta designed the Hôtel Solvay (1895–1900) and his own residence (1898) employing iron and stone façade with elaborate iron interiors.
During 1894, Horta was elected President of the Central Society of Belgian Architecture, although he resigned the following year following a dispute caused when he was awarded the commission for a kindergarten
on rue Saint-Ghislain without a public competition.
From 1895 to 1899 Horta designed the Maison du Peuple
(House of the People), a major building for the progressive Belgian Workers' Party
consisting of a large complex of offices, meeting rooms, cafe and a conference & concert hall seating over 2,000 people. Its demolition in 1965, in spite of an international protest by over 700 architects, has been described as one of the greatest architectural crimes of the twentieth century
Horta and his first wife were divorced in 1906. He married his second wife, Julia Carlsson, in 1908.
In 1906, Horta accepted the commission for the new Brugmann University Hospital (now the Victor Horta Site of the Brugmann University Hospital). Developed to take into account the views of the clinicians and hospital managers, Horta's design separated the functions of the hospital into a number of low-rise pavilions
spread over the 18 hectare (44.5 acre) park based campus, and work began in 1911. Although used during World War I
, the official opening was delayed until 1923. Its unusual design and layout attracted great interest from the European medical community, and his buildings continue in use to this day.
In 1907, and of note for the inclusion of a greater number of classical references, Horta designed the Museum for Fine Arts
in Tournai
, although it did not open until 1928 due to the war.
With World War I in progress, Horta left Belgium for London
in February 1915 and attended the Town Planning Conference on the Reconstruction of Belgium, organised by the International Garden Cities and Town Planning Association. Unable to return to Belgium due to the war, at the end of the year he decided to go to the United States
, where he gave a number of lectures at universities including Cornell
, Harvard
, MIT
, Smith College
, Wellesley College and Yale
and, in 1917, became Professor of Architecture at George Washington University
, and Charles Eliot Norton Memorial Lecturer.
The post-war austerity meant that Art Nouveau was no longer affordable or fashionable. From this point on Horta, who had gradually been simplifying his style over the previous decade, no longer used organic forms, and instead based his designs on the geometrical. He continued to use rational floor plans, and to apply the latest developments in building technology and building services engineering
. The Palais des Beaux-Arts
in Brussels, a multi-purpose cultural centre designed in a formal style that was new at the time, but which foreshadows Art Deco
as well as having cubist
features, is a particularly prominent example.
Horta developed the design for the Palais over several years from 1919, with construction finally beginning in 1923. Externally the building is clad in stone, however it was largely built using reinforced concrete
. Following the way he had left steel exposed in his Art Nouveau buildings, Horta had originally intended to leave the concrete exposed internally. Unfortunately the surface was unsatisfactory and, to his regret, had to be covered. Internally, Horta's complex floor plans again demonstrate his talent for rational design. Combining his love of both music and architecture, Horta designed an unusual egg-shaped concert hall which is regarded as one of the Worlds' greatest, although modifications in 1970 harmed the acoustics. The Henry Leboeuf hall, the main concert hall, was renovated in 2000 and the acoustics have been restored. Further restoration work on other parts of the building took place during the 2000s.
In 1927, Horta became the Director of the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
in Brussels, a post he held for four years until 1931. In recognition of his work, Horta was awarded the title of Baron
by Albert I of Belgium
in 1932.
Horta actually began working on his longest running project - the modernist Brussels-Central railway station - in 1910, although (despite having been commissioned to prepare drawings in 1913) work didn't start until 27 years later. It was originally envisaged that this would form part of a much larger Municipal Development, which Horta also worked on during the 1920s, although this never materialised. The start of construction was seriously delayed due to the lengthy process of purchasing and demolishing over 1,000 buildings along the route of the new railway (between the existing stations), technical problems, and the intervention of World War I. Construction finally began in 1937 as part of the plans to boost the economy during the Great Depression
, before being delayed again by the outbreak of World War II
. Horta was still working on the station when he died in 1947, and the building was completed to his plans by his colleagues led by Maxime Brunfaut. It eventually opened on 4 October 1952
After Art Nouveau lost favor, many of Horta's buildings were destroyed, most notably the Maison du Peuple, demolished in 1965, as mentioned above. However, several of Horta’s buildings are still standing in Brussels to today and available to tour. Most notable are the Magasins Waucquez, formerly a department store, now the Brussels Comic Book Museum and four of his private houses (hôtels), which were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
:
Victor Horta was interred in the Ixelles Cemetery
in Brussels.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and designer. John Julius Norwich
John Julius Norwich
John Julius Cooper, 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO — known as John Julius Norwich — is an English historian, travel writer and television personality.-Early life:...
described him as "undoubtedly the key European Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
architect." Indeed, Horta is one of the most important names in Art Nouveau architecture; the construction of his Hôtel Tassel
Hôtel Tassel
The Hotel Tassel is a town house built by Victor Horta in Brussels for the Belgian scientist and professor Emile Tassel in 1893-1894. It is generally considered as the first true Art Nouveau building, because of its highly innovative plan and its ground breaking use of materials and decoration...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1892-3 means that he is sometimes credited as the first to introduce the style to architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
from the decorative art
Decorative art
The decorative arts is traditionally a term for the design and manufacture of functional objects. It includes interior design, but not usually architecture. The decorative arts are often categorized in opposition to the "fine arts", namely, painting, drawing, photography, and large-scale...
s. The French architect Hector Guimard
Hector Guimard
Hector Guimard was an architect, who is now the best-known representative of the French Art Nouveau style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries....
was deeply influenced by Horta and further spread the "whiplash" style in France and abroad. In rejecting historical styles and embracing new materials, Horta laid the foundations for modern architecture
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
.
In 1932 King Albert I of Belgium
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
conferred on Horta the title of Baron for his services to architecture. Four of the buildings he designed
Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels)
The Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta in Brussels are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They comprise:* Hôtel Tassel* Hôtel van Eetvelde* Hôtel Solvay* Maison & Atelier Horta, now the Horta MuseumThe UNESCO commission recognized them in 2000:...
have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Life and career
Born in GhentGhent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, Horta was first attracted to the architectural profession when he helped his uncle on a building site at the age of twelve.
Horta had had a great interest in music since childhood and, in 1873, went to study musical theory at the Ghent Conservatory. After being expelled for bad behaviour he joined the Department of Architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent
Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Ghent)
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent is one of the oldest art schools in Belgium, now part of the Hogeschool Gent.The Academy was founded in 1741 as a private school in the home of Philippe Karel Marissal, and provided a royal charter in 1771 by empress Maria Theresa of Austria...
instead. In 1878 Horta left for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, finding work with architect and designer Jules Debuysson in Montmartre
Montmartre
Montmartre is a hill which is 130 metres high, giving its name to the surrounding district, in the north of Paris in the 18th arrondissement, a part of the Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit and as a nightclub district...
. There he was inspired by the emerging impressionist
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
and pointillist
Pointillism
Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term Pointillism was first coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works...
artists, and also by the possibilities of working in iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
and glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
.
When Horta's father died in 1880, he returned to Belgium and moved to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, married his first wife, with whom he later fathered two daughters, and went to study architecture at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
The Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels is an art school, founded in 1711.The faculty and alumni of ARBA include some of the most famous names in Belgian painting, sculpture, and architecture: James Ensor, Rene Magritte, and Paul Delvaux...
. In Brussels Horta built a friendship with Paul Hankar
Paul Hankar
Paul Hankar was a Belgian architect and designer who, along with Victor Horta and Henry Van de Velde, is considered one of the principal architects to work in the Art Nouveau style in Brussels at the turn of the twentieth century.-Formative Studies: Hankar was born at Frameries. He began his...
, who would later also embrace Art Nouveau. Horta did well in his studies and was taken on as an assistant by his professor Alphonse Balat
Alphonse Balat
Alphonse Hubert François Balat was a Belgian architect.He studied at the Academie of Namur and obtained his degree in architecture from the Academy of Antwerp in 1838....
, architect to Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
. Together they designed the royal Greenhouses of Laeken, Horta's first work to utilise glass and iron.
In 1884 Horta won the first Prix Godecharle
Gilles-Lambert Godecharle
Gilles-Lambert Godecharle was a Belgian sculptor, a pupil of Laurent Delvaux, "the only sculptor of international repute in Delvaux's retinue", who became one of two outstanding representatives of Neoclassicism in the Austrian Netherlands.In response to his early promise, empress Maria Theresa...
to be awarded for Architecture (for his unbuilt design for Parliament), as well as the Grand Prix in architecture on leaving the Royal Academy.
By 1885 Horta was working on his own and was commissioned to design three house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
s which were built that year. The same year he also joined the Central Society of Belgian Architecture. Over the next few years he entered a number of competitions for public work, and collaborated with sculptors (notably his friend Godefroid Devresse) on statuary and even tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
s, winning a number of prizes. He focused on the curvature
Curvature
In mathematics, curvature refers to any of a number of loosely related concepts in different areas of geometry. Intuitively, curvature is the amount by which a geometric object deviates from being flat, or straight in the case of a line, but this is defined in different ways depending on the context...
of his designs, believing that the forms he produced were highly practical and not artistic affectations.
During this period, Horta socialised widely and, in 1888, joined the freemasons as a member of the lodge Les Amis Philanthropes of the Grand Orient of Belgium
Grand Orient of Belgium
The Grand Orient of Belgium The Grand Orient of Belgium The Grand Orient of Belgium (French: Grand Orient de Belgique, Dutch: Grootoosten van Belgie (G.O.B.) is a Belgian cupola of masonic lodges which is only accessible for men, and works in the basic three symbolic degrees of freemasonry.-History:...
in Brussels. This ensured a stream of clients when he returned to designing house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
s and shops from 1893.
Horta was appointed Head of Graphic Design for Architecture at the Université Libre de Bruxelles
Université Libre de Bruxelles
The Université libre de Bruxelles is a French-speaking university in Brussels, Belgium. It has 21,000 students, 29% of whom come from abroad, and an equally cosmopolitan staff.-Name:...
in 1892, before being promoted to Professor of Architecture in 1893, a post he left in 1911 after the university authorities failed to offer him the opportunity to design an extension to the university buildings.
Art Nouveau
After introducing Art Nouveau in an exhibition held in 1892, Horta was inspired. Commissioned to design a home for professor Emile Tassel, he transfused the recent influences into Hôtel TasselHôtel Tassel
The Hotel Tassel is a town house built by Victor Horta in Brussels for the Belgian scientist and professor Emile Tassel in 1893-1894. It is generally considered as the first true Art Nouveau building, because of its highly innovative plan and its ground breaking use of materials and decoration...
, completed in 1893. The design had a groundbreaking semi open-plan floor layout for a house of the time, and incorporated interior iron structure with curvilinear botanical forms, later described as “biomorphic whiplash”. Ornate and elaborate designs and natural lighting were concealed behind a stone façade to harmonize the building with the more rigid houses next door. The building has since been recognised as the first appearance of Art Nouveau in architecture.
After receiving great acclaim for his designs, Horta was commissioned to complete many other important buildings throughout Brussels. Enhancing this new architectural style, Horta designed the Hôtel Solvay (1895–1900) and his own residence (1898) employing iron and stone façade with elaborate iron interiors.
During 1894, Horta was elected President of the Central Society of Belgian Architecture, although he resigned the following year following a dispute caused when he was awarded the commission for a kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
on rue Saint-Ghislain without a public competition.
From 1895 to 1899 Horta designed the Maison du Peuple
Maison du Peuple
The Maison du Peuple or Volkshuis in Brussels, meaning "The House of the People" was one of the largest works of Belgian architect Victor Horta, festively opened on 2 April 1899....
(House of the People), a major building for the progressive Belgian Workers' Party
Belgian Labour Party
The Belgian Labour Party, called Belgische Werkliedenpartij in Dutch and Parti Ouvrier Belge in French, was the first socialist party in Belgium, founded in 1885.-History:...
consisting of a large complex of offices, meeting rooms, cafe and a conference & concert hall seating over 2,000 people. Its demolition in 1965, in spite of an international protest by over 700 architects, has been described as one of the greatest architectural crimes of the twentieth century
Twentieth century
In tune with the public mood, after some ten years designing in the Art Nouveau style that he pioneered and for which his is best known, from the turn of the century Horta's designs gradually started to become simplified and less flamboyant, with more classical references. This can first be seen in his 1901 extension to his recently completed Hôtel van Eetvelde, in which he chose to specify a pair of marble columns.Horta and his first wife were divorced in 1906. He married his second wife, Julia Carlsson, in 1908.
In 1906, Horta accepted the commission for the new Brugmann University Hospital (now the Victor Horta Site of the Brugmann University Hospital). Developed to take into account the views of the clinicians and hospital managers, Horta's design separated the functions of the hospital into a number of low-rise pavilions
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
spread over the 18 hectare (44.5 acre) park based campus, and work began in 1911. Although used during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the official opening was delayed until 1923. Its unusual design and layout attracted great interest from the European medical community, and his buildings continue in use to this day.
In 1907, and of note for the inclusion of a greater number of classical references, Horta designed the Museum for Fine Arts
Musée des Beaux-Arts Tournai
The Musée des Beaux-Arts in Tournai, Belgium, is an art museum.The inception of the museum was in the beginning of the 20th century when Henri Van Cutsem, a Belgian art collector, offered his collection to the city of Tournai in 1905...
in Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
, although it did not open until 1928 due to the war.
With World War I in progress, Horta left Belgium for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in February 1915 and attended the Town Planning Conference on the Reconstruction of Belgium, organised by the International Garden Cities and Town Planning Association. Unable to return to Belgium due to the war, at the end of the year he decided to go to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he gave a number of lectures at universities including Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
, Wellesley College and Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
and, in 1917, became Professor of Architecture at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, and Charles Eliot Norton Memorial Lecturer.
Towards Art Deco and Modernism
On Horta's return to Brussels in January 1919 he sold his home and workshop on the rue Américaine, and also became a full member of the Belgian Royal Academy.The post-war austerity meant that Art Nouveau was no longer affordable or fashionable. From this point on Horta, who had gradually been simplifying his style over the previous decade, no longer used organic forms, and instead based his designs on the geometrical. He continued to use rational floor plans, and to apply the latest developments in building technology and building services engineering
Building services engineering
Building services engineering, technical building services, architectural engineering, or building engineering is the engineering of the internal environment and environmental impact of a building...
. The Palais des Beaux-Arts
Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels
The Paleis voor Schone Kunsten or Palais des Beaux-Arts is cultural venue in Brussels, Belgium. Often referred to as "Bozar" or "PSK", construction was completed in 1928 and includes exhibition and conference rooms, movie theater and concert hall which serves as home to the National Orchestra of...
in Brussels, a multi-purpose cultural centre designed in a formal style that was new at the time, but which foreshadows Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
as well as having cubist
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
features, is a particularly prominent example.
Horta developed the design for the Palais over several years from 1919, with construction finally beginning in 1923. Externally the building is clad in stone, however it was largely built using reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
. Following the way he had left steel exposed in his Art Nouveau buildings, Horta had originally intended to leave the concrete exposed internally. Unfortunately the surface was unsatisfactory and, to his regret, had to be covered. Internally, Horta's complex floor plans again demonstrate his talent for rational design. Combining his love of both music and architecture, Horta designed an unusual egg-shaped concert hall which is regarded as one of the Worlds' greatest, although modifications in 1970 harmed the acoustics. The Henry Leboeuf hall, the main concert hall, was renovated in 2000 and the acoustics have been restored. Further restoration work on other parts of the building took place during the 2000s.
In 1927, Horta became the Director of the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
The Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels is an art school, founded in 1711.The faculty and alumni of ARBA include some of the most famous names in Belgian painting, sculpture, and architecture: James Ensor, Rene Magritte, and Paul Delvaux...
in Brussels, a post he held for four years until 1931. In recognition of his work, Horta was awarded the title of Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
by Albert I of Belgium
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
in 1932.
Horta actually began working on his longest running project - the modernist Brussels-Central railway station - in 1910, although (despite having been commissioned to prepare drawings in 1913) work didn't start until 27 years later. It was originally envisaged that this would form part of a much larger Municipal Development, which Horta also worked on during the 1920s, although this never materialised. The start of construction was seriously delayed due to the lengthy process of purchasing and demolishing over 1,000 buildings along the route of the new railway (between the existing stations), technical problems, and the intervention of World War I. Construction finally began in 1937 as part of the plans to boost the economy during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, before being delayed again by the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Horta was still working on the station when he died in 1947, and the building was completed to his plans by his colleagues led by Maxime Brunfaut. It eventually opened on 4 October 1952
Heritage
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
:
- Hôtel TasselHôtel TasselThe Hotel Tassel is a town house built by Victor Horta in Brussels for the Belgian scientist and professor Emile Tassel in 1893-1894. It is generally considered as the first true Art Nouveau building, because of its highly innovative plan and its ground breaking use of materials and decoration...
, designed and built for Prof. Émile Tassel in 1892 - 1893. - Hôtel SolvayHôtel SolvayThe Hôtel Solvay is a large Art Nouveau town house designed by Victor Horta on the Avenue Louise in Brussels. The house was commissioned by Armand Solvay, the son of the wealthy Belgian chemist and industrialist Ernest Solvay. For this wealthy patron Horta could spend a fortune on precious...
, designed and built 1895 - 1900. - Hôtel van EetveldeHôtel van EetveldeThe Hôtel van Eetvelde is a town house designed in 1895 by Victor Horta for Edmond van Eetvelde, administrator of Congo Free State. Together with the Hôtel Tassel, the Hôtel Solvay and his own House and atelier it was put on the 'UNESCO World Heritage List' in 2000 as the core of epoch-making urban...
, designed and built 1895 - 1898. - Maison and Atelier HortaHorta MuseumThe Horta Museum is a museum dedicated to the life and work of the Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta and his time. The museum is housed in Horta's former house and atelier, Maison & Atelier Horta , in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles...
, designed in 1898, now the Horta MuseumHorta MuseumThe Horta Museum is a museum dedicated to the life and work of the Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta and his time. The museum is housed in Horta's former house and atelier, Maison & Atelier Horta , in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles...
, dedicated to his work.
List of works
- 1885 : 3 houses, Twaalfkameren 49, 51, 53 in GhentGhentGhent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
(design) - 1889 : Temple of Human PassionsTemple of Human PassionsThe Temple of Human Passions , also known as Pavillon Horta-Lambeaux, is a neoclassical pavilion in the form of a Greek temple that was built by Victor Horta in 1896 in the Cinquantenaire Park of Brussels. Although classical in appearance, the building shows the first steps of the young Victor...
, Cinquantenaire ParkCinquantenaireParc du Cinquantenaire or Jubelpark is a large public, urban park in the easternmost part of the European Quarter in Brussels, Belgium....
in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(protected monument since 1976) - 1890 : Maison Matyn, rue de Bordeauxstraat 50, 1060 Saint-GillesSaint-Gilles, BelgiumSaint-Gilles or Sint-Gillis is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Saint-Gilles has a multicultural identity stemming from its diverse population...
- 1890 : Renovations and interior decoration to the Brussels residence of Henri van Cutsem, Kunstlaan / Avenue des Arts 16, Saint-Josse-ten-NoodeSaint-Josse-ten-NoodeSint-Joost-ten-Node or Saint-Josse-ten-Noode is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium....
(Today Charlier museum). - 1892-1893 : Hôtel TasselHôtel TasselThe Hotel Tassel is a town house built by Victor Horta in Brussels for the Belgian scientist and professor Emile Tassel in 1893-1894. It is generally considered as the first true Art Nouveau building, because of its highly innovative plan and its ground breaking use of materials and decoration...
, rue Paul-Emile Jansonstraat 6 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... - 1893 : Maison AutriqueMaison AutriqueThe Autrique House was the first town house built by Victor Horta in the Art Nouveau style. This house built in 1893 represents an essential step in the evolution of the greatest Belgian architect. In many ways it was an innovative dwelling although it doesn't feature the novel spatial...
, Haachtsesteenweg/Chaussée de Haecht 266 in Schaerbeek - 1894 : Hôtel Winssinger, Munthofstraat / rue de l'Hôtel de la Monnaie 66 in Saint-GillesSaint-Gilles, BelgiumSaint-Gilles or Sint-Gillis is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Saint-Gilles has a multicultural identity stemming from its diverse population...
- 1894 : Hôtel Frison, rue Lebeaustraat 37 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
- 1894 : Atelier for Godefroid Devreese, Vleugelstraat / rue de l'aile 71 in Schaerbeek (modified)
- 1894 : Hôtel SolvayHôtel SolvayThe Hôtel Solvay is a large Art Nouveau town house designed by Victor Horta on the Avenue Louise in Brussels. The house was commissioned by Armand Solvay, the son of the wealthy Belgian chemist and industrialist Ernest Solvay. For this wealthy patron Horta could spend a fortune on precious...
, Avenue LouiseAvenue LouiseAvenue Louise or Louizalaan is a major thoroughfare in Brussels. It runs southeast from Louise Square to the Bois de la Cambre, covering a distance of .- History :...
224 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. - 1895 : Interior decoration of the house of Anna BochAnna BochAnna Rosalie Boch was a Belgian painter, born in Saint-Vaast, Hainaut. Anna Boch died in Ixelles in 1936 and is interred there in the Ixelles Cemetery, Brussels, Belgium.-Artistic style:...
, Boulevard de la Toison d'Or / Guldenvlieslaan 78 in Saint-GillesSaint-Gilles, BelgiumSaint-Gilles or Sint-Gillis is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Saint-Gilles has a multicultural identity stemming from its diverse population...
(demolished) - 1895-1898 : Hôtel van EetveldeHôtel van EetveldeThe Hôtel van Eetvelde is a town house designed in 1895 by Victor Horta for Edmond van Eetvelde, administrator of Congo Free State. Together with the Hôtel Tassel, the Hôtel Solvay and his own House and atelier it was put on the 'UNESCO World Heritage List' in 2000 as the core of epoch-making urban...
, Avenue Palmerstonlaan 2/6 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... - 1896-1898 : Maison du PeupleMaison du PeupleThe Maison du Peuple or Volkshuis in Brussels, meaning "The House of the People" was one of the largest works of Belgian architect Victor Horta, festively opened on 2 April 1899....
/ Volkshuis, place Vanderveldeplein in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(demolished in 1965) - 1897-1899 : Kindergarten, rue Sainte-Ghislaine / Sint-Gisleinstraat 40 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
- 1898-1900 : House and Studio of Victor HortaHorta MuseumThe Horta Museum is a museum dedicated to the life and work of the Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta and his time. The museum is housed in Horta's former house and atelier, Maison & Atelier Horta , in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles...
, rue Américaine / Amerikaansestraat 23-25 in Saint-GillesSaint-Gilles, BelgiumSaint-Gilles or Sint-Gillis is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Saint-Gilles has a multicultural identity stemming from its diverse population...
(today the Horta MuseumHorta MuseumThe Horta Museum is a museum dedicated to the life and work of the Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta and his time. The museum is housed in Horta's former house and atelier, Maison & Atelier Horta , in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles...
). - 1899 : Maison Frison "Les Épinglettes", avenue Circulaire / Ringlaan 70 in UccleUccleUccle or Ukkel is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Uccle is known for its well-to-do areas, its green spots and its high rental rates.-History:...
- 1899 : Hôtel Aubecq, Avenue LouiseAvenue LouiseAvenue Louise or Louizalaan is a major thoroughfare in Brussels. It runs southeast from Louise Square to the Bois de la Cambre, covering a distance of .- History :...
520 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(demolished in 1950) - 1899-1903: Villa Carpentier (Les Platanes), Doorniksesteenweg 9-11 in RonseRonseRonse is a Belgian city and a municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality only comprises the city of Ronse proper.- Early settlements to 14th century :...
- 1900 : Extension of the Maison Furnémont, rue Gatti de Gamondstraat 149 in UccleUccleUccle or Ukkel is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Uccle is known for its well-to-do areas, its green spots and its high rental rates.-History:...
- 1900 : Department store: A l'Innovation, rue NeuveRue Neuve (Brussels)Rue Neuve or Nieuwstraat is a pedestrian street in Brussels' city center. It is the most popular shopping area in Belgium by number of shoppers...
111 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(destroyed by fire in 1967) - 1901 : House and Studio for the sculptor Fernant Dubois, Avenue Brugmannlaan 80 in Forest, BelgiumForest, BelgiumForest or Vorst is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.The town is commonly known for its concert hall...
- 1901 : House and Studio for the sculptor Pieter-Jan Braecke, rue de l'Abdication / Troonafstandstraat 51 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
- 1902 : Hôtel Max Hallet, Avenue LouiseAvenue LouiseAvenue Louise or Louizalaan is a major thoroughfare in Brussels. It runs southeast from Louise Square to the Bois de la Cambre, covering a distance of .- History :...
346 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. - 1903 : Funeral monument for the composer Johannes BrahmsJohannes BrahmsJohannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
on the "Zentralfriedhof" in Vienna (in collaboration with the Austrian sculptor Ilse Conrat)
- 1903 : Magasins Waucquez, rue du Sable / Zandstraat 20 in Brussels (since 1989 Belgian Centre for Comic Strip ArtBelgian Centre for Comic Strip ArtThe Belgian Comic Strip Center chronicles the history of Belgian comics...
. - 1903 : House for the art critic Sander Pierron, rue de l'Acqueduc / Waterleidingsstraat 157 in Ixelles
- 1903 : Grand Bazar Anspach, Bisschopsstraat / rue de l'Evêque 66 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(demolished) - 1903 : Maison Emile Vinck, rue de Washingtonstraat 85, Ixelles (converted in 1927 by architect A.Blomme).
- 1903 : Department store: A l'Innovation, Chausée d'Ixelles / Elsenesteenweg 63-65 in Ixelles (converted)
- 1904 : Gym for the boarding school "Les Peupliers" in VilvoordeVilvoordeVilvoorde is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Vilvoorde proper with its two outlying quarters of Koningslo and Houtem and the small town of Peutie...
. - 1905 : Villa Fernand Dubois, rue Maredretstraat, SosoyeSosoyeSosoye is a village in Anhée, Namur Province, Belgium. Sosoye lies in the valley of the Molignée and had 151 inhabitants in 2007....
. - 1906 : Brugmann Hospital, Place A. Van Gehuchtenplein in JetteJetteJette is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.The Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Dutch-speaking university of Brussels has built its hospital and medical campus in Jette, while its other buildings are in the so-called Etterbeek campus actually...
; (First design; opened in 1923) - 1907 : Magasins Hicklet, Nieuwstraat / rue Neuve 20 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(converted) - 1909 : Wolfers Jewellers Shop, rue d'Arenberg / Arenbergstraat 11-13 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. - 1910 : House for dr. Terwagne, Van Rijkswijcklaan 62, Antwerp.
- 1911 : Magasins Absalon, rue Saint-Christophe / Sint-Kristoffelstraat 41 in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
- 1911 : Maison Wiener, Sterrekundelaan / avenue de l'Astronomie in Saint-Josse-ten-NoodeSaint-Josse-ten-NoodeSint-Joost-ten-Node or Saint-Josse-ten-Noode is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium....
(demolished) - 1912 : Brussels-Central railway station (first designs; completed by Maxime Brunfaut and inaugurated in 1952).
- 1920 : Centre for Fine Arts, rue Ravensteinstraat in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(first design; opened in 1928). - 1925 : Belgian pavilion at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels ModernesExposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels ModernesThe International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts was a World's fair held in Paris, France, from April to October 1925. The term "Art Deco" was derived by shortening the words Arts Décoratifs, in the title of this exposition, but not until the late 1960s by British art critic...
in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1925. - 1928 : Musée des Beaux-Arts TournaiMusée des Beaux-Arts TournaiThe Musée des Beaux-Arts in Tournai, Belgium, is an art museum.The inception of the museum was in the beginning of the 20th century when Henri Van Cutsem, a Belgian art collector, offered his collection to the city of Tournai in 1905...
in TournaiTournaiTournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
.
Victor Horta was interred in the Ixelles Cemetery
Ixelles Cemetery
The Ixelles Cemetery , located in Ixelles in the southern part of Brussels, is one of the major cemeteries in Belgium....
in Brussels.