Home News Belgium: Horta Museum becomes member Of Europa Nostra

Belgium: Horta Museum becomes member Of Europa Nostra

January 27, 2015 | Posted in Members

The Horta Museum in Brussels joined Europa Nostra’s network of Member Organisations in October 2014. It was established in 1969 by the Municipality of Saint-Gilles, with the aim of preserving Victor Horta’s home and studio and of opening them to the general public. The outstanding conservation of the Horta Museum, led by architect Barbara Van der Wee, received an EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award in 2014.

Victor Horta designed his own house and studio in the Saint-Gilles area of Brussels in 1898, and lived and worked there for 20 years. Photo: Horta Museum / Paul Louis

During a process that lasted 25 years, the architecture and interior decoration, which are masterpieces of European Art Nouveau, gradually regained their original appearance thanks to the collaborative work of many craftsmen, who since then have applied their skills to other buildings dating from the same period.

The Museum holds Horta’s archives (photos and manuscripts), deposited by the Jean and Renée Delhaye Foundation, as well as a substantial library dedicated to Art Nouveau in Europe. The Museum is regularly visited by students and researchers from all over the world. For the last two years, thanks to the support of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Museum has held creative workshops for children aged 6 to 12. During these events, they can experience the arts and crafts used by Horta in his designs, such as mosaic-work, stained glass and decorative wallpaper, and are also shown how to use their observations of the natural world to create ornamental designs.

Plans are in the pipeline to extend the Museum into a neighbouring building. In 2016, all the administrative offices will be housed elsewhere, so that the whole of this historic site will be dedicated to receiving visitors. Art Nouveau and contemporary craft exhibitions will be held in an exhibition room conforming to international lighting and security standards.

Horta’s architecture is inextricably linked to the image of Brussels and continues to play its part in promoting the city as a capital of European Art Nouveau.

In Belgium, Europa Nostra has 33 member and associate organisations. Europa Nostra seeks to strongly engage and further enlarge its network of members, associates, benefactors, partners and supports in Belgium and all over Europe. Together we can save and promote our shared cultural heritage. JOIN US