Many Art Nouveau buildings by Victor Horta and his contemporaries fell into a deep trough of disrepute and neglect between the First World War and, roughly speaking, the 1970s. The internationally contested demolition of Horta’s Volkshuis (1965) remains fresh in the collective memory of architecture-loving Belgium, as does the demolition of the Aubecq House (1949). This tragic history makes the recent inauguration, with all the trimmings, of the Hôtel Solvay as a ‘new museum in Brussels’ all the more memorable an event.

The house was listed as a monument in 1977 and, in 2000, together with the Tassel and Van Eetvelde houses and the architect’s own home and studio, was granted World Heritage status by UNESCO. Hôtel Solvay is considered Horta’s best-preserved Art Nouveau residence, partly thanks to the care of the Wittamer family, who have owned the house since 1957.