In its "Year of Art Nouveau," Brussels is opening the beautifully renovated Hotel van Eetvelde, with its eye-catching glass dome, to the general public.
"Brussels is the undisputed capital of Art Nouveau. Visitors can now discover even more of our extraordinary heritage. It will be a priceless promotion for our region and residents should be proud of it," said Brussels State Secretary for Heritage Pascal Smet.
The building has been on the Unesco World Heritage List since 2000 and is a real showpiece designed by famous Belgian architect Victor Horta at the request of Edmond van Eetvelde – a Belgian diplomat and advisor of Belgian King Leopold II, and later became the first General Administrator of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Congo.
Horta used numerous materials from Congo as well as a number of motifs that referred to the colony. In the hall, vines run through mosaics and elegant plant stem-like colonettes support the veined dome, whose stained-glass windows depict stylised leaves and flower stems that colour the incoming daylight.
The dining room, adorned with graceful shrubs, retained its waffled wall coverings in ochre, green and brown depicting plants, elephants and stars.
Now that it is opened to the public, the building is also hosting an exhibition where visitors can discover the main characteristics of this movement and be informed about its links with colonisation.
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