Victor Horta in the city center

World-famous as a pioneer of Art Nouveau, architect Victor Horta in het centrum of Brussels shows a lesser-known, but at least as fascinating side. In a rapidly changing capital, he sought new forms for a modern city. His strength lies in the combination of functionality, constructive innovation, light, and refined detailing, always adapted to scale and context. This tour explores the center of Brussels through the work and ideas of Horta, in a walk through his oeuvre. Fault lines in the city The neighborhood around the current central station was once a densely built and lively working-class district. In the first half of the 20th century, major demolition work took place here to make room for the Centraal Station and for the railway connection between the North and South stations. This urban renewal left deep marks on the urban fabric. It was precisely in this context that Horta took a different path in the center than his exuberant Art Nouveau architecture. He evolved towards a tighter, more rational design language that responded to large-scale infrastructure and new urban ambitions. During the walk, we will discover, among other things, the former Waucquez department store, today the Belgisch Stripmuseum, a key work in which Horta masterfully combines light, structure, and circulation. The facade of the Wolfers jeweler's shop also testifies to his ability to reconcile elegance and modernity even within limited urban frameworks. The tour also pays attention to other striking realizations from the interwar period, placing Horta's work within a broader architectural evolution. Thus, a layered story of an architect and a city in transformation unfolds.