Architecture in Ganshoren and Koekelberg

The Château de Rivieren site is a must when visiting Ganshoren, as it is a marvel presented in a wonderful setting. Mediaeval in origin (12^th century), the château passed from owner to owner and underwent a number of modifications and renovations, while retaining its Ancien Régime character. The estate is currently owned by a company that organises private events. (66 drève du Château)

On your way out of the estate, take a stroll through Het Heideken garden city, designed by architect and town planner Jules Ghobert in 1920. Have you heard of the concept? The aim was to build affordable housing for a modest-income population, without neglecting a certain level of comfort and an environment close to nature. The result: a collection of single-family homes with gardens. A great deal of emphasis was originally placed on the collectivity of the whole, in an attempt to remove individualisation. Even today, you can still feel the village atmosphere, which is almost reminiscent of community life or even a beguinage. (Drève de Rivieren - Drève du Château)

A change of era as we stop in front of Saint Martin church, which was built in 1971 by architect Jean Gilson. The striking facade is shaped like a trapezium and decorated with a huge ceramic work evoking charity. The church's contemporary interior and decoration are well worth a visit. (3 place Reine Fabiola)

In 1965, two architects, Brunswyck and Wathelet, built their new offices in a post-war modernist style. The result is a remarkable work, with a facade made almost entirely of glass. The building is now an extension of Ganshoren town hall. Take the opportunity to go in and discover the interior decor: a relief brick wall, a tree stripped of its bark and a partially suspended staircase. (31 avenue de Villegas)

Next, visit Cité Moderne, another of Brussels' garden cities. It is very distinctive and was built between 1922 and 1924 to designs by Victor Bourgeois. The architect's ambition was to build 500 homes, but only 274, of 15 different types, would be completed. But the general trend was obviously towards these modernist cubes with flat roofs and white rendering! (Place des Coopérateurs)

Résidence Amaryllis is the modernist work of Jean Delhaye, who built this corner building between 1956 and 1960 as his personal residence. The shapes are highly geometric, and the architect was quick to design a large rear terrace! (34 rue des Amaryllis)

Modernism at its best! This beautifully crafted house was designed by architects Henau and Mathieux. It features a rather rough and uncluttered facade. Take a look at the design of the windows, which sometimes play with horizontality and sometimes with verticality! (20 rue de l'Ancien Presbytère)

The change of style continues with this Art Nouveau building, built in 1906 but whose architect remains unknown. Without being extravagant, the facade is finely decorated with bands of coloured glazed bricks and ceramic panels with floral motifs. The woodwork is also a thing of beauty! (13 Avenue Vital Riethuisen)

On the same street, you can admire an opulent example of eclectic Beaux-Arts architecture. This 1935 home was designed by the talented architect Georges Doyen. It uses a mix of red brick and white stone, sculpted overmantels, wood-panelled windows, etc. (54 avenue Vital Riethuisen)

Retrace your steps to enter Elisabeth Park and admire the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, which is actually the fifth-largest church in the world! The Art Deco-style building is 164 metres long, 107 metres wide and has a 93-metre-high dome that is a well-known landmark in the Brussels landscape. Did you know that the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Montmartre served as the model for this building? Or that construction work, which began in 1909, took over 60 years to complete? Don't miss the panoramic view (for a fee) from the dome... it is a real feast for the eyes!

Maison Vandevelde is a beautiful four-fronted villa that will take you back to the English movement, with its cottage influence bathed in an Art Deco and regionalist context. It was designed by Antoine Pompe in 1922, with an L-shaped floor plan. At the rear, the house has a garden that gives the impression that you have left the city... (25 avenue Sermon)

Here's one that won't go unnoticed... ! With its façade decorated with burgundy ceramic tiles and bright red window frames, this modernist house is truly eye-catching on the street! Its architect André Claessens adopted the Paquebot influence, borrowing certain elements, such as the portholes, from the naval world. (55 avenue Sermon)

The same Beaux-Arts style inspired other architects in Ganshoren, including here, with these two mansions designed by the same architect, Auguste Hanssens, in 1930. The two facades are beautifully crafted. There is elegance on every level! Take a look at the stone facings, sculpted trumeaux and pilasters, and the loggia in the facade of the house on the left... it is a real beauty! (83-85 avenue Broustin)

On the same avenue, you must stop in front of this 1910 Art Nouveau house, which is a model of its kind! It was built for Alphonse Hellinckx, and you should admire, in particular, its polychrome facade, large window with horseshoe arch and decorative faience panels in the bow window... it is exquisite! (110 avenue Broustin)

Our walk comes to a gentle end in the area around the basilica, which is undoubtedly of great architectural interest. This can be seen in another remarkable example, an imposing bourgeois house in an eclectic, neo-Gothic style, dating from 1905. Its architect, Pepermans, built an impressive house, not only in terms of the width of its facade, but also in terms of its overall appearance, as he used a large amount of bluestone and added a number of decorative elements. (40 avenue des Gloires Nationales)

On the same avenue, stop in front of this small Brutalist-style apartment building, designed by Paul Caulier in 1966. It was originally the offices (second floor) and home (upper floors) of the architect Caulier himself. Note the omnipresent concrete, the loggias with integrated planters and the astonishing asymmetrical balcony on the top floor. Inside, everything is natural: bare brick side walls and concrete ceilings, concrete spiral staircases and a fireplace combining brick and concrete. (10 avenue des Gloires Nationales)

After crossing Elisabeth Park, you can admire this Art Deco corner villa, the former home of Oscar Bossaert, Koekelberg's former mayor and industrialist. The building dates from 1930 and its architect, Albert Callewaert, together with a sculptor, revealed the full extent of his talent, with a distinctive composition on a rounded corner at the junction of two streets, a magnificent wrought-iron entrance door, sculpted friezes surrounding doors and windows, not to mention a beautiful tree-lined estate... it is all rather sumptuous, don't you think? (1 avenue du Panthéon)

Why not end on an Art Nouveau note? Stop for a moment in front of what was not only the home and office of architect Fernand Lefever, who built it in 1913, but also his calling card! It is hardly surprising, as he took great care with its shapes and decoration, complete with beautiful sgraffito and meticulous wrought ironwork. Does the main facade look like it is made of stone? In fact, it is render that imitates stone and is much less expensive! (59 avenue du Panthéon).