'Symbol of Art Nouveau': Brussels unveils restored facade of Hôtel Solvay

'Symbol of Art Nouveau': Brussels unveils restored facade of Hôtel Solvay
Credit: Cabinet of Ans Persoons

After two and a half years, the restored façade and roof of the iconic Art Nouveau townhouse, Hôtel Solvay, was inaugurated on Wednesday morning after an extensive restoration project.

One of the capital's most important UNESCO heritage buildings, the Hôtel Solvay was designed by famous Belgian architect Victor Horta and built between 1894 and 1900. It is one of Horta's most accomplished works: it benefited from both an almost unlimited budget for its construction and a remarkable understanding with the client. It is also one of Horta's best-preserved buildings.

"The Hôtel Solvay once again shines as one of the symbols of the Art Nouveau heritage that has put Brussels on the international map as the ‘World Capital of Art Nouveau'," said Ans Persoons, outgoing Brussels State Secretary for Urban Planning and Heritage.

"We owe this to Victor Horta as the designer, and to the Wittamer family, who have saved and maintained the building since it opened to the general public in 2021," she said. Since then, it has received almost 100,000 visitors.

Credit: Cabinet of Ans Persoons

"A huge success and a testament to the appeal of our heritage. Today, after more than two years of restoration works, the façade shines as before," Persoons said. "The Hôtel Solvay now once again has an important role in the attractiveness of our region as a tourist destination."

In 2019, owner Alexandre Wittamer decided to restore the street facade of Hôtel Solvay when it was discovered that the lower part of the loggia above the entrance door was in an advanced state of corrosion. 115 years after its construction, several parts of the facade had shifted by almost 7cm.

To assess the severity and extent of the damage, a visual inspection was organised in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Service of the Brussels Region. A thorough study was also carried out on the stability of the metal structure of the facade as a whole.

Saved for the second time

The work started in March 2022 and was completed in the summer of 2024. During that period, the natural stone in the building was cleaned and restored, the metalwork and wrought ironwork were structurally strengthened and the wooden exterior joinery was restored.

The lead cladding on the balconies was also renewed and the rainwater drains were adjusted, the stained glass windows were restored, and the metalwork and wooden joinery were painted. Throughout the duration of the works, the Hotel continued to receive visitors.

"65 years after the Hôtel Solvay was saved from ruin by my grandparents, it has recently undergone the most extensive restoration since then and has, in a sense, been saved for the second time. This restoration was necessary because real structural problems threatened to damage the building forever," said Alexandre Wittamer, owner of Hôtel Solvay.

Next year, Hôtel Solvay will celebrate 25 years on the UNESCO list, he added. "I hope it will continue to amaze its visitors with the genius of the extraordinary architect Victor Horta for many years to come."

(continues below photos)

Credit: Cabinet of Ans Persoons

Credit: Cabinet of Ans Persoons

The interior of the Hotel has reopened its doors to the public since January 2021, via visits by appointment and is proving to be a true calling card for Brussels: approaching the 100,000 visitor mark in just over three years. It is now one of the tourist attractions on the Art Nouveau route of the Belgian capital which "should not be missed." 

City of Brussels Mayor Philippe Close (PS) also added his praise to the building's history and renovation. "The restoration of the façade of the Hôtel Solvay is a great achievement for the City of Brussels. By protecting and upgrading such emblematic buildings, we strengthen the appeal of our city and its international reputation."

"This example shows that investing in our heritage is also investing in our city. This kind of project symbolises our vision of a city that modernises while respecting its history," he added.

Building tomorrow's city

The Brussels-Capital Region has been providing financial support for restoration and maintenance work at the Hôtel Solvay for several years. In 2016, a subsidy of €100,000 was already awarded to repair the heating system.

The restoration work on the facade and roofs, which took place in 2023 and 2024, was 80% financed by the Brussels Regional Government, as it is a museum open to the public. This concerns the costs of the works and the preliminary studies, amounting to a total of €1,537,724.

Over a period of eight years, the Brussels-Capital Region has contributed financially to the restoration and maintenance through grants, totalling more than €1.5 million. "This restoration is part of one of urban.brussels' main missions: to protect yesterday's heritage and build tomorrow's city," said Sarah Lagrillière, Deputy Director General of urban.brussels.

Credit: Cabinet of Ans Persoons

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