Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – The building is one of the most emblematic of Art Nouveau, listed by Unesco. The former house-workshop of Belgian architect Victor Horta in Brussels will be completely restored by 2029, a job of extreme precision to preserve the harmony between all its decorative elements.

Published on: 02/10/2026 - 10:29

From the mosaic floor to the glass roof of the main stairwell, including the woodwork and ironwork elements, everything was designed in a combination of rust, orange and beige colors that immediately strikes the visitor.

With this art of arabesques and curves which made the world reputation of the architect (1861-1947).

“We are in a completely orchestrated interior, a total work of art,” enthuses Benjamin Zurstrassen, curator of the place which became a museum in 1969, after its purchase by the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles.

The current restoration, the third, amounts to "taking care of a 130-year-old old lady", continues the curator, recalling that Horta lived there for twenty years at the very beginning of the 20th century.

In 1898 he acquired two adjoining plots of land to build his living and working spaces in the same place.

The site is exceptional in the number of specialists called upon to intervene: carpenters, painters, glass, stone or textile restorers, etc.

“We have rarely had such a concentration of trades,” says Mr. Zurstrassen.

Tourist asset

The day an AFP team is invited to visit, a sculpture restorer is working to scrape off with a scalpel the layer of gray paint added in the 60s and 70s on the bas-reliefs decorating the dining room, the central room of the reception floor.

It's about "finding the first pictorial touch common to the six bas-reliefs", explains Marianne Decroly... In a white or creamy white tone much more in harmony with the enameled bricks of the walls and ceiling.

To access the reliefs placed at height, it was necessary to install indoor scaffolding and empty the room of its furniture. The intervention requires concentration and precision.

“Beneath this somewhat sad gray layer, we really find the quality of these reliefs thanks to this slightly shiny paint” corresponding to the original finish, adds the restorer.

Today, the Horta Museum is one of the architect's four Brussels buildings classified as UNESCO world heritage sites, which the Belgian capital has made one of its assets to attract tourists from all over the world.

The restoration, at a total cost of 800,000 euros, financed with regional funds, initially concerns the street side facade and the interior of the house.

It must extend from 2027 to the development of a new reception space in the old workshop. Access to the garden is also provided.

The museum remains accessible to the public during the work, upon prior reservation.

Guided tours are possible in the presence of artisans to show their work.

© 2026 AFP

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