Little New York in Ixelles

The neighborhoods of the Rond-Point de l’Etoile and the Solbosch acted as the epicenter of modernity during the Roaring Twenties. The former plateau of the Exposition Universelle of 1910 was developed in the 1920s with the aim of attracting the upper bourgeoisie. Many luxury apartments were built there, such as the Palais de la Folle chanson, the Palais du Congo, or the residence of La Cambre, the first Brussels skyscraper, inspired by the New York Art Déco style.\n\nL’avenue Franklin Roosevelt (former avenue des Nations), is adorned with prestigious Art Déco and modernist mansions. It is the first Brussels artery to have been designed for the car, in a period when speed fascinated. The new premises of the Université Livre de Bruxelles were also built there with American funds dedicated to post-war reconstruction.\nThis visit invites you to discover the legacy of American influence, which left a lasting mark on the neighborhood, both in architectural programs and in lifestyles.