162 years ago on this day, 6 January 1861, Belgium’s most celebrated architect and one of the trailblazers of the Art Nouveau movement, Victor Horta, was born.
While Brussels is hard to imagine without Horta's beautiful buildings, not many people know he was actually born in the Flemish city of Ghent. Initially, he attempted to get a music degree at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent, but after he was expulsed for misbehaviour – changing the course of Belgian architectural history forever.
After having lived in Paris for a while, Horta moved back to Belgium for his studies in architecture in 1881, to attend the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. There, he was a pupil of the Neoclassical architect Alphonse Balat, who greatly admired the talents of his protégé, and took him on as an assistant.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Whether you arrive at Central Station or visit Bozar, many people’s idea of Brussels is synonymous with Horta’s architectural creations; he is everywhere.
For a more in-depth overview of Horta's life and architecture career, head over to our new historical series "On This Day..." – by one of The Brussels Times' editors, Ugo Realfonzo, who will take newcomers and Belgians alike on a trip down memory lane. Curious? Go and read all about it.
Who (or what) would you like to know more about? Let @Maajtee know.
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