Palais des Beaux-Arts: exterior

Much of Horta’s later professional work was concerned with two major public commissions in Brussels: the Palais des Beaux-Arts (designed 1914; built 1919-28) and the Gare Centrale (first planned 1910; begun 1937 and completed 1946-53 by Maxime Brunfaut).

The Palais des Beaux-Arts (Centre for Fine Arts), often referred to as BOZAR (a homophone of Beaux-Arts), is a multi-purpose cultural venue in Brussels. Horta began designing it following World War I in a more geometric style than his previous works, similar to Art Deco. Originally, the building was planned to be of stone, but Horta made a new plan of reinforced concrete with a steel frame. He had intended the concrete to be left exposed in the interior, but the final appearance did not meet his expectations, and he had it covered. It took more than a decade to complete the complex, which has a large concert hall in an unusual ovoid, or egg shape. Moreover, it has a recital room, a chamber music room, lecture rooms, and a vast gallery for temporary exhibitions. Horta managed to put together this array of different functions on a rather small building plot with restricted conditions using more than 8 building levels with a large part situated underground.