10 must-visit Art Nouveau houses and mansions in Brussels

01 March 2022

At the end of the 19^th century, Victor Horta broke with the dominant, traditional architectural styles in Brussels, giving birth to the iconic Art Nouveau genre. Along the streets of our capital, numerous houses and mansions bear witness to the emergence and blossoming of this unprecedented style.

Horta, Hankar, Van de Velde and other great names in Brussels architecture drew their inspiration from the organic forms of nature, sometimes with a touch of Japanese inspiration. The capital’s appearance was transformed and its facades were brought to life in magnificent fashion. To make sure you don’t miss a thing, we’ve put together a top 10 of Brussels’ unmissable Art Nouveau houses and mansions!

1. Cauchie House

Built in 1905, the Cauchie House, that dates back to 1905, was named after its original owner Paul Cauchie. Aside from its superb round window, the building's facade is magnified by the presence of several large sgraffiti, which make the building stand out and are evidence of Cauchie’s decorative talent.

Booking required. Every first weekend of the month, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00.

2. The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM)

The Old England building – previously a shop, but now owned by the government – is a remarkable example of Art Nouveau, with its black metal structure. Although the MIM is often considered to be only this dark metal structure, the complete construction is made up of three buildings in which no less than 1100 musical instruments are on display, with more than 8,000 in total being stored.

Booking required. Tuesday to Friday, from 9:30 to 17:00. Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 - 17:00.

Inside the Museum of Musical Instruments

3. Autrique House

Autrique House, designed by Victor Horta in 1893, is the first large town house that the great architect built, almost at the same time as he designed the Hôtel Tassel. Here too the structural and decorative innovations are characteristic of Art Nouveau.

Booking required. Wednesday to Sunday, from 12:00 to 18:00.

Interior staircase of the Maison Autrique

4. The Horta Museum

The Horta Museum is housed in two connected buildings: The architect’s house and his workshop. They are the perfect examples of the peak of Art Nouveau. Both buildings were bought by the commune of Saint-Gilles in the 60s and turned into a museum which opened in 1969.

Booking required. Tuesday to Friday, from 14:00 to 17:30. Saturday and Sunday, from 11:00 to 17:30.

5. The Max Hallet House

Buit in 1903 by Victor Horta, The Max Hallet House, on the prestigious avenue Louise, is characterised by its sober facade. This simplicity isn’t just down to the logical evolution of Art Nouveau architecture around 1900, it’s also because of the building’s original purpose, which was to be both the home and office of lawyer Max Hallet.

Visits can be booked via explore.brussels.

6. The Belgian Comic Strip Center

The Belgian Comic Strip Center, a former textiles warehouse, was designed by Victor Horta for textile merchant Charles Waucquez. Bought by the government in the 80s to save it from being demolished, it now houses a centre dedicated to Belgian comic strips.

Online booking. Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 18:00.

Entrance hall of the Belgian Comic Strip Centre

7. Tassel House

Tassel House was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. With its audacious bow-window and remarkable light wells, this building left a lasting mark on the history of architecture.

Visits can be booked via explore.brussels.

8. Foundation Frison Horta

Foundation Frison Horta sits in the middle of Rue Lebeau and was built by Victor Horta in 1894 for Georges Frison, a renowned lawyer. It is a house that showcases nature and light down to the smallest detail. There are murals, frescoes and odes to flora and fauna on every floor. Foundation Frison Horta is a cultural institution and centre for art. It acts as a cultural bridge between east and west that fosters greater understanding and appreciation of the rich cultural traditions of India in Europe.

Guided tours by appointment only. Monday to Saturday, from 9:30 to 17:30.

Sculpture inside the Frison Horta Foundation

9. Van Eetvelde House

According to Victor Horta himself, van Eetvelde House, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, was the most daring of his entire oeuvre. The man who commissioned it, politician Edmond van Eetvelde was someone who believed in modernity and architectural innovation. He gave Horta free reign to let his artistic inspiration run wild when he commissioned him to design a home for his family.

Visits can be booked via explore.brussels.

10. Solvay House

Solvay House is regarded as one of Victor Horta’s finest works, which unsurprisingly lead it to be added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2003. It was commissioned by industrialist Ernest Solvay, who gave Horta an illimited budget to complete the masterpiece. Standing on the chic avenue Louise, it is a perfect example of how the well-to-do families of 19^th century bourgeoisie lived.

Booking required. Thursday and Saturday, from 10:00 to 15:40.

Top Tip!

The Art Nouveau Pass lets you discover Brussels’ Art Nouveau gems at an unbeatable price. Choose 3 sites from a list of 7 emblematic constructions, like Cauchie House, the Horta Museum, Autrique House and Solvay House.

The pass is valid 6 months, to the great delight of all architecture fans!

Get your Art Nouveau Pass

Museum Horta

The Horta Museum is housed in the house and studio of the architect Victor Horta (1861-1947). Both buildings were built from 1898 to 1901 and are typical of the height of Art Nouveau. The interior of the house has been largely preserved: mosaics, stained-glass windows, furniture, wall paintings form a harmonious whole that shows subtlety down to the smallest detail. The museum is also a centre for research on Victor Horta and Art Nouveau. The architect's personal archive, a collection of plans of his buildings and the library are accessible to the public by appointment. Reservation of a time slot online is mandatory. Last access at 16:45.

Museum Horta

The Cauchie House

One of the most beautiful examples of Brussels Art Deco, and more specifically so called sgraffito and façade paintings, is the Cauchie House. The façade, architecture and interior of this building make it well worth a visit. Be advised, however, that it’s necessary to book your visit in advance. Paul Cauchie, the building’s original owner was, along with his wife Lina, a proponent of the decorative arts and painting, more specifically the creation of wall paintings, based on a centuries-old technique. Most similar houses in Brussels were also done by Cauchie and his wife. Nevertheless, an architect rather than a decorator, Cauchie built his own home, which was completed in 1905. The whole of the building’s façade is stunningly adorned with intricate decorations and acted as a shop window for the couple’s art business. Cauchie’s decoration of his own home served as a confirmation of the couple’s specialisation. The house’s façade is split by three doors: the middle one takes you down to the basement, the right-hand one leads to the reception rooms and the third is purely decorative. The inside of the house is equally beautifully decorated with numerous sgraffiti. Open every Saturday and the first Sunday of the month.

The Cauchie House

Tassel Hotel

This building is considered the founding work of Art Nouveau in Brussels. It was designed in 1893 by master architect Victor Horta, commissioned by its owner Emile Tassel, a professor at the ULB and a Freemason, like Horta. A house designed to accommodate a bachelor living with his grandmother, Tassel wanted to be able to receive his friends and continue his scientific work. The principal elements of Art Nouveau are used here: apparent metal structure, integration of the decoration into the structure, large amounts of natural light, etc.

Tassel Hotel

MIM - Musical Instruments Museum (MRAH)

As soon as it opened at the end of the 19th century, the luxurious Old England department store earned an excellent reputation for its highly distinctive building. The entrance to the building is a jewel of the Art Nouveau style, while the rest is in perfect harmony with the neoclassical ensemble on the Place Royale, and just around the corner from the Grand-Place and Central Station, no less! With a wealth of some 9.000 instruments, some 1.200 of which are on permanent exhibit, the museum's reputation is mainly built on its extraordinary collections. Once inside, you'll embark on a true tour of the musical world. After your visit, the instruments and their history will no longer hold any secrets: from the viola da gamba from the Court of Brussels to the 20th century theremin, and even including the African kora! The mim is nothing other than a place to experience music. A visitor's guidance system allows you to explore the thematic tours to the tune of the melodious sound of the instruments presented. A program packed with concerts, demonstrations and workshops for the young and the not so young makes the mim experience even better. The mim has its own concert hall, specialized library, museum shop, workshop for restauration and conservation of musical instruments and is crowned by a restaurant with panoramic view over Brussels.

MIM - Musical Instruments Museum (MRAH)

Autrique House

Maison Autrique is the very first striking building Victor Horta designed. It was built in 1893 and it's a major part of Brussels' architectural patrimonium. It underwent an exemplary restoration and is now open to the public. This house is an important Art Nouveau touchstone: we can already see elements that form a part of the continual explorations of the architect. It's interior division is full of surprises: François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters have staged an original scenography, from the cellar to the attic. The house has thus become a sort of tribute to Brussels' private architecture, while at the same time tickling the imagination. The house hosts intimate concerts, temporary exhibitions and workshops for children.

Autrique House

Solvay House

Architect: Victor Horta - 1895/1898 This luxury townhouse was built by Victor Horta in 1894 for the son of captain of industry Ernest Solvay. The architect was given “carte blanche” and designed the interior and the furniture down to the smallest detail. On the façade, two symmetric bow windows surmounted by balconies are seen to protrude across two floors. Indoors it is a visual extravaganza, with the sheer range of red-orange hues on offer only acting to underpin the atmosphere of luxury and comfort. A must-see building.

Solvay House

The Belgian Comic Strip Center

An accomplished attraction located in the heart of Brussels, the Belgian Comic Strip Center has been honouring the creators and heroes of the 9th Art for more than 25 years. The regularly renewed permanent exhibitions and a diversified programme of temporary exhibitions enable visitors to discover the countless aspects of comics art. Tintin and the Smurfs lead the way towards further adventures, an encounter with a world where creativity has no limits. Enhanced by an exceptional Art Nouveau home designed by Victor Horta, the Belgian Comic Strip Center is just as much a tribute to the pioneers as a glimpse of contemporary comics art. Open every day (7/7) in July and August and during Belgian school holidays.

The Belgian Comic Strip Center

Max Hallet House

House dating from 1904, built according to the plans of V. Horta and offering a symphony of colours, whorls and lights to lift the heart and please the eyes. The lawyer Max Hallet had it built to receive his friends and clients in a magnificent setting. Victor Horta built it in the image of its occupant, laying out rooms for living and areas for receiving visitors.

Max Hallet House

Foundation Frison Horta

RESTORATION. PRESERVATION. SHARING. Foundation Frison Horta is a cultural institution and centre for art. It’s a living museum and an organic cultural platform that conveys the story of Brussels’ heritage to a global audience. It is a historical landmark which showcases the work of Horta with original furniture, Art Deco, murals and frescoes. It engages with multidisciplinary institutions and bodies in an artistic dialogue on preserving, restoring and sharing the history and heritage of Art Nouveau while acting as a cultural bridge between east and west that fosters greater understanding and appreciation of the rich cultural traditions of India in Europe and vice versa. The foundation sits in the middle of Rue Lebeau and was built in 1894 for Georges Frison, a renowned lawyer. It sits among Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Gothic mansions, looking like a Neo- Renaissance turret. It is a house of nature and light with murals and frescoes of flora and fauna that engulf the whole house. It shows a fascinating play between the conventional Brussels private house and the bold and elegant style of Victor Horta. The house stands out in a discreet way, far from extravagant. Everything is subtle, with the play of blue and white stones. Guided visit by appointment only Entry Fee: 35 Euros (Visit+Exposition)

Foundation Frison Horta

Maison van Eetvelde

According to Horta himself, the plans for this house, conceived in 1895, were the most audacious he ever drew. And he did so for a prominent figure, as the client, Baron Edmond van Eetvelde, was the Secretary General of the Independent State of Congo - in reality the unofficial 'Minister of the Congo' - and, therefore, a very close ally of King Leopold II. The future owner asked the architect for a house 'for his family', but with as large a living room and dining room as possible, given his frequent social engagements. The house is unusual in that it is flanked by two other buildings: a building to the left of it, which was intended to serve both as an extension to the original house and as a rental house and a building to the right of it, a small annex to the main house.

Maison van Eetvelde