The mansion nobody wanted now hailed as a masterpiece
After years of renovation, the stunning façade of the Hôtel Solvay in Brussels has been unveiled again. It had been cloaked in scaffolding for the past two years during the works.
Located on the Avenue Louise, the Hôtel Solvay is one of several masterpieces by the pioneering Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta. It was built as a family home (not a hotel) for the rich industrialist, Armand Solvay, at the end of the 19th century. Working with a near unlimited budget, Horta lavished the building with all of his innovations in architecture – most notably the use of light and free-flowing spaces – with the use of steel for both structure and aesthetics.
But like many Art Nouveau buildings, the Hotel Solvay eventually went out of fashion. The Solvay family later decided to sell it but amazingly, nobody wanted it. Although it is barely imaginable now, the Brussels authorities considered tearing it down in the 1950s – a fate which befell many Art Nouveau buildings. The reason? The sheer cost of restoration.
Luckily, two patrons turned up in 1957, Louis Wittamer and Berthe De Camps. They used the building as a studio and showroom for their fashion business. They also set to work preserving it, a job that they passed down to their children and grandchildren.
Museum and UNESCO heritage site
The Hôtel Solvay was classified as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2000 and has since undergone several waves of renovations and is open to the public on specific days.
"Heritage still makes people dream," said the state secretary for urban planning and heritage Ans Persoons at the official unveiling of the facade.
Brussels mayor Philippe Close commented: “Much more than stones, the Hôtel Solvay is a living showcase that tells the story of Brussels and now fully contributes to the tourist appeal of our Region."
(Michael Leahy. Source: The Bulletin. Photo: FrDr CC 4.0)