Victor Horta (1861 - 1947) Belgian Architect and Designer

Education

In 1876, he studied architecture at the academy in Ghent and at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Brussels until 1881.

Biography

An enthusiastic disciple of Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, Horta took on the design of the building and its entire contents, including chandeliers, furniture, door handles, and key escutcheons. He was sympathetic to Viollet-le-Duc’s view that structure was in itself an architectural expression.

In 1892, the Free University of Brussels put him in charge of the Department of Graphic Design for Architecture.

Architecture

Horta worked for some time in the office of the neoclassical architect Balat. Rejecting historicism, he developed his own style beginning in 1892, exposing the building’s framework, including its iron pilasters, balustrades, and window frames; this exercise created an association between the framework and the interior furnishings.

Belgium’s Hôtel Solvay was the first appearance of Art Nouveau in architecture. In 2000, along with three other townhouses designed by Horta, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Curving lines inspired by vines and flowers were repeated in ironwork railings and tiles. The Hôtel Aubecq was one of the last houses designed by Horta in the Art Nouveau style. It featured a skylight over the central staircase, and three facades with windows, designed to give maximum light.

Embed from Getty Images

The Maison du Peuple/Volkshuis was the headquarters for the Belgian Workers’ Party from 1895 to 1899. In 1903, Victor Horta designed the Grand Bazar Anspach in Brussels. In 1906, he accepted the commission for the new Brugmann University Hospital. The Magasins Waucquez was originally a department store specialising in textiles. After his death in 1920, the building began to languish, and in 1970, the firm closed its doors. The Center for Fine Arts in Brussels, completed in 1929, is considered one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau.

In 1910, Horta began working on drawings for his most ambitious and longest-running project, Brussels Central Station. He was formally commissioned as the architect in 1913, but work did not begin until after World War II.

Style

Horta, like many other Art Nouveau artists, frequently incorporated plant-like forms in his architectural designs. Some of his most representative designs include those of the Hotel Tassel and the Hotel Solvay. Both of these works are characterised by intricately wrought iron work on the exteriors and interiors, the adherence to an open plan, and the emphasis on organic and natural forms—all representative features of Horta’s work. These themes were especially revolutionary for the development of modern architecture because Horta was one of the few architects of his time to use iron in a domestic setting.

Embed from Getty Images

He died in 1947, still working at the Brussels station “and the building was completed to his plans by his colleagues led by Maxime Brunfaut. It eventually opened on 4 October 1952” (Victor Horta | Architectuul, n.d.)

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL

Horta, Victor – A Dictionary of Modern Architecture. (2015, November 16). Horta, Victor – a Dictionary of Modern Architecture. Retrieved January 7, 2023, from https://voices.uchicago.edu/201504arth15709-01a2/2015/11/16/horta-victor/

Victor Horta | Architectuul. (n.d.). Architectuul. Retrieved January 7, 2023, from https://architectuul.com/architect/victor-horta

Furniture books – Amazon

* This website may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click on links at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon and Sovrn affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

More Architect / Designers

Victor Horta (1861 – 1947) Belgian Architect and Designer

Victor Horta (1861–1947) was a Belgian architect and designer. He is considered one of the founders of the Art Nouveau movement. His Hôtel Tassel is often considered Belgium’s first house. Four of the buildings he designed have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Maison du Peuple/Volkshuis was the headquarters for the Belgian Workers’ Party from 1895 to 1899. The Center for Fine Arts in Brussels is considered one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau. Some of his most representative designs include those of the Hotel Tassel and the Hotel Solvay.Read More →
Sydney Opera House – Design Classic

The design of the Sydney Opera House (1956-73), which he won in an international competition, was Utzon’s crowning achievement. He envisioned a solid sculptural building made of a series of giant interlocking billowing white ‘sails’ inspired by the ships of Sydney Harbour.Read More →
Gruppo 9999 Italian Architecture and Design Group

Gruppo 9999 was a group of radical architects founded in Florence in 1968 by Giorgio Birelli, Carlo Caldini, Fabrizio Fiumi and Paolo Galli. Read More →
Oscar Onken (1858 – 1948) and the ‘The Shop of the Crafters’

Oscar Onken (1858 – 1948) was an American entrepreneur. He was professionally active in Ohio. Onken was a prominent businessman and philanthropist. Impressed with the Gustav Stickley and Austrian stands at the 1904 St. Louis ‘Louisiana Purchase Exposition,’ he founded The Shop of the Crafts in Cincinnati in 1904. Read More →
Anchor Blocks – 19th Century construction toy

Anchor Blocks were a German system of building blocks that were popular as a children’s construction toy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, notably in Europe. Dr F. Ad. Richter in Rudolstadt, Germany, began developing and manufacturing the system in 1879. The concept was based on the FROEBEL block system, which significantly impacted Frank Lloyd WRIGHT’s design philosophy.Read More →
Pavilion de l’Esprit Nouveau (1925) Looking into the Future

L’Esprit Nouveau. The pavillion was named after Le Corbusier’s magazine, L’Esprit Nouveau, which he started in 1920 to spread the word about his own work and that of other artists of the time.Read More →
‘Moderne’ Style of Art Deco Popular in the 20s & 30s

Moderne was a decorative style that was mostly about how things looked on the outside. Moderne architecture was most noticeable in public buildings like skyscrapers and movie theatres. Postmodernism later brought back a lot of the styles that were part of the moderne movement.Read More →
Unit One avant-garde 🇬🇧 group of architects, designers, 🎨 artists

Unit One was a British avant-garde community of architects and fine artists were created by designer, artist, and teacher Paul Nash to encourage Modernism in art and architecture in England. Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, and Ben Nicholson were among the group’s most prominent members, as were the architects’ Wells Coates and Colin Lucas. Read More →
Daniela Puppa (b.1947) eclectic Italian architect and designer

From 1977 to 1983, he worked as the chief editor of the design magazine Modo and as a consultant for the fashion magazine Donna. She designed interiors for Driade, Gianfranco Ferré, Montres and GFF Duty Free, Fontana Arte, Granciclismo sports machines, and Morassutti/Metropolis, as well as serving as an image and product consultant for the Croff/Rinascente chain. Read More →
Functionalism a design and architectural principle

With his motto ‘form follows function,’ American architect Louis Sullivan is considered the founder of 20th-century Functionalism. Functionalism became a label for an extremely wide variety of avant-garde architecture and design in the first half of the 20th century, including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s classical Rationalism, Erich Mendelsohn’s Expressionism, Giuseppe Terragni’s unadorned, heroic structures, Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture, and Le Corbusier’s Cubist solids. Read More →
Ulrich Franzen (1921 – 2012) German-born American architect and designer

Ulrich Franzen, the German-born American architect, was a leading figure in the first post-war generation of American architects; including Paul Rudolph, Harry Cobb, John Maclane Johansen, and Philip Johnson. Read More →
Tom Ngo’s Architectural Absurdity

“Common sense and conventional practice prohibit the evolution of architecture.” This is the first quote you find reading Tom Ngo’s Master’s thesis: The Dinner Address, A Venture into Architectural Absurdity. Read More →
Berthold Lubetkin (1901 – 1990) Russian-British Modernist Designer

Berthold Lubetkin (1901 – 1990) was a Russian-British modernist designer. He was a Russian emigre who came to London via the October Revolution of 1917. Read More →
Kaare Klint (1888 – 1954) Danish furniture designer

Kaare Klint – Danish furniture designer. The Danes were greatly influenced by Germany’s Bauhaus movement in the early part of the twentieth century. Read More →
MARS (Modern Architectural Research Group) (1933 – 1957)

The MARS Group, or Modern Architectural Research Group, was a British architectural think tank created in 1933 by numerous famous architects and architectural critics participating in the British modernist movement. The MARS Group was created after several prior but unsuccessful attempts to establish an organization to promote modernist architects in the United Kingdom, similar to organizations created in continental Europe, such as France’s Union des Artistes Modernes.Read More →
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886 – 1969) German architect and designer

Between 1905 and 1907, he worked as an apprentice to architect and furniture designer Bruno Paul in Berlin, where he studied wooden furniture design. He created furniture for all of his early homes, including the Werner residence.Read More →
Adalberto Dal Lago (b.1937) – Italian Architect and designer

Adalberto Dal Lago is an Italian architect and designer: born and active Milan. He was an assistant, Facolta di Architettura, Politecnico di Milano from 1964-70 and subsequently chair of interior design and then of the elements of composition. He published books on design and Modern architecture. The European Council commissioned him and architect Marco Zanus to publish a postwar European design book. Read More →
Sven Markelius (1889 – 1972) – Swedish Architect, Textile Designer

Sven Markeilus (1889- 1972) was a Swedish Architect, Town Planner and textile designer born in Stockholm. He taught in Stockholm and at Yale University. In the 1950s, Markelius designed simple wooden furniture and printed fabrics with Astrid Sampe, produced by Nordiska in Stockholm.Read More →
A Totally Custom, Teeny Tiny Prison Bus Is Now a Mobile Home

Ben and Meag Poirier (Ben and Meag aren’t the first (or, for that matter, the last) couple to turn a bus into a modest mobile home.Read More →
Inside Hong Kong’s cage homes

When houses are the size of parking spaces. Coffin cubicle, or coffin home, is a type of residence that is only large enough for one bunk bed surrounded by a metal cage. In Hong Kong, roughly 53,200 individuals lived in cage dwellings in 2007. The Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok, To Kwa Wan, and Tai Kok Tsui neighbourhoods are examples of this form of home that developed in Hong Kong.Read More →
Ronald-Cecil Sportes – French architect and designer

Ronald-Cecil Sportes is a French architect and designer. He was born Orleanville (Algeria) and professionally active in Paris. He studied at the Ecole des Arts Appliques et des Metiers d’Arts, Paris. Read More →
150 Best Cottage & Cabin Ideas

Filled with hundreds of colour photographs, this comprehensive handbook in the highly successful 150 Best design series showcases the latest in successful small house design from some of today’s most distinguished international architects and designers.Read More →
Photos of Japan’s Okayama Castle Showcase Its Enchanting Beauty

From its ancient temples and breathtaking nature to its colorful city life, Japan is full of wondrous beauty. Photographer Yukari Mitani travels around his home country snapping and sharing photos of some of its most charming locations. His most recent adventure brought him to the historic Okayama Castle in the city of Okayama, where he captured its beauty at night.Read More →
Architecture the 1920s & 1930s – the birth of Modernism

Architecture the 1920s & 1930s – the birth of Modernism. The architects of the post-World War 1 years aimed for simplicity above all else.Read More →
Paul Getty Center designed by Richard Meir

Paul Getty Center was designed by Richard Meir. It uses cutting-edge technology for book conservation, storage, and retrieval. READ MORERead More →
Modular Table, coffee table by Claisse Architectures

Modular Table, modular coffee table system by Claisse ArchitecturesRead More →
Black and white photographs of London’s most iconic Brutalist buildings

There have been many creative tributes to London’s iconic Brutalist buildings in recent years. Once dismissed as ugly, the concrete towers and blocks of the capital enjoy a renaissance and artists, designers, and photographers are amongst those who now celebrate them.Read More →
Carrara marble – “Luni marble”

Carrara marble is a white or blue-grey marble that is commonly used in sculpture and building decor. Carrara in the province of Massa and Carrara in the Lunigiana, the northernmost tip of modern-day Tuscany, Italy, is where it is quarried.Read More →
Finlandia Hall designed by Alvar Aalto

The Finlandia Hall is a congress and event venue in the centre of Helsinki on the Töölönlahti Bay, owned by the City of Helsinki. In 1971, the building, designed by the architect Alvar Aalto, was completed. Aalto designs every detail of the building. Read More →
Marilena Boccato Italian product designer

Marilena Boccato is a designer from Italy who worked in Treviso and Padua. In 1967, Boccato began her professional career. She collaborated with Gian Nicola Gigante and Antonio Zambusi.Read More →
Architecture News from around the world

Gottfried Böhm, Master Architect in Concrete, Dies at 101 A recipient of his field’s highestRead More →
Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style

Design authority Architectural Digest celebrates its best articles from the past 100 issues. Archival research yielded years of high-quality content on various topics. Read More →
Amazing Concrete and Glass House in Argentina

Argentina has a long history of stunning Brutalist concrete buildings. These residences generally connect the inside and outside through huge windows and a flat, low silhouette, showcasing the country’s harsh environment.Read More →
William Gray Purcell (1880 – 1964) American architect and furniture designer

William Gray Purcell was an American architect and furniture designer. He was active in Minneapolis and Philadelphia.Read More →
Pierre Jeanneret (1896 – 1967) Swiss architect and designer

Pierre Jeanneret (1896 – 1967) was a Swiss architect and builder. He was a talented painter, artist, and architect as a young student, greatly inspired by Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (Le Corbusier), his cousin and life mentor. From 1916 to 1918, he served in the Swiss Army as a cyclist.Read More →
A Scandinavian Lakeside Cabin in Warm Ochre and Neutral Hues

I’m sure you know (I do talk about it ad nauseam after all – bahRead More →
Designer chooses humble life in Shanghai – SHINE News

Aldo Cibic, a significant figure in the history of Italian design for over 40 years,Read More →
Nikola Olic’s Playful Facade Photos ‘Reimagine’ Their Subjects

Nikola Olic – a Serbian photographer based in Dallas , Texas – focuses on “ architectural photography and abstract structural quotes that reimagine their subjects in playful, dimensionless and disorienting ways.” Often isolating elements of a facade , which obscures the viewer’s sense of scale and perspective, Olic provides short descriptions of each image, acting as a “demystifying tool” and reminding us of the everyday nature of his subject matter.Read More →
Retreat: The Modern House in Nature

The most forward-looking spaces designed for rustic living in the twenty-first century. Across the globe, architects are creating innovative houses for country living, reimagining the way we escape into the natural world. Some combine industrial materials like metal and concrete with traditional wood. Read More →
R. Buckminster Fuller: Pattern-Thinking

R. Buckminster Fuller: Pattern-Thinking is a major reassessment of Fuller’s legacy in the context of design, examining his singular vision of new conceptual models for design and architecture, alongside his ideas on their potentially world-altering consequences. Read More →
The Pritzker Architecture Prize

The Pritzker Architecture Prize recognises a living architect or architects whose built work exemplifies a blend of talent, vision, and dedication that has resulted in significant and coherent contributions to humanity and the built environment through the practice of architecture.Read More →
5 Designing Women: Meet the First Ladies Of Malaysian Design

Since Breakfast Thieves, Liang has been busy with a wide variety of projects including more cafes and retail spaces, all showcasing her clean aesthetic and meticulously detailed hand. She’s also started her own range of stackable wooden furniture and home accessories.Read More →
Eero Saarinen (1910 – 1961) Finnish | American architect designer

Eero Saarinen (1910 – 1961) Finnish architect. He was born in Kirkkonummi. He was professionally active in the USA. The son of Eliel and Loja Saarinen.Read More →
David Adjaye Seating for Knoll Takes Center Court at The Met New York

A refuge for visitors to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York’s most popular culturalRead More →
Josef Maria Olbrich Austrian Artist, Architect and Designer

Josef Maria Olbrich, born in Troppau, was an Austrian artist, architect and designer who worked in Vienna and Darmstadt. From 1882, under Camillo Sitte, he studied at the Staatsgewrbeschule, Vienna. In 1890, he studied at the Akademie der bildenden under Carl von Hasenauer.Read More →
6 Diverse European Designers from last century

A diverse, eclectic and interesting selection of designers; architects, ceramicists, metal smith, interior designer. For inspiration and information;Read More →
1920s Apartment Rejuvenated With Warm Shades Of Yellow

Yellow is one of the most cheerful and fun colours yet it’s rarely the main colour tone in interior design. That’s one of the reasons why we’re so excited to have come across this wonderful efficiency apartment from Stockholm, Sweden.Read More →
This Paris Apartment is Only 194 Square Feet

When I saw the pictures of this apartment I immediately knew who the designer was, because only one person could make an apartment this small look this good. Parisian designer Marianne Evennou specializes in turning tiny apartments into tiny, perfect jewel boxes, and this little space, measuring a mere 18 square meters (or 194 square feet) is no exception.Read More →
Adachi Museum Gardens

The gardens vary in appearance every day. In fact, we might never see each beautiful moment again, and this is why the whole garden is always full of beauty. The founder Adachi Zenko, with the belief of “the garden is also a picture”, devoted himself to gardening until he died at the age of 91. Read More →
Bølgen Bath and Leisure Centre by White Arkitekter perches above a fjord

Swedish architecture studio White Arkitekter has refurbished a gym and built a new swimming pool building for Bølgen Bath and Leisure Centre in Drøbak, Norway. Bølgen Bath and Leisure Centre now has its own lap pool, diving pool, children’s pool, water slide, therapy pool and baths, as well as a sauna and spa.Read More →
Small studio space in a warm color palette

This small one-room studio is decorated with lots of white combined with natural materials and warm colours like beige and ochre. This warm palette looks very inviting and unifies the style throughout the space. My favourite area must be the small white dining area with white bentwood chairs. Perfect for a morning coffee.Read More →
The VietNam Hostel / 85 Design

Danang is a famous sea-tourism city in Vietnam. It has not only the beautiful beaches but also the extremely wonderful Han River and Son Tra Peninsula. Phòng tập thể – Phòng riêng – Căn hộ trung tâm Đà Nẵng (Giá rẻ đối diện chợ Hàn). Cả nhà ở chung một phòng còn gì vui hơn ˆˆ Bunk bed – Ensuite private room – Ensuite apartment in City center (Han Market Area). Save more cost for your travel!Read More →
Spaceship Cat Bed

Modern cat bed designed to be mounted on a wall looks like alien spaceship. MYZOO Spaceship cat bed with air holes and transparent acrylic window . Also check out: iMac Beds for Cats.Read More →
150 Best Cottage And Cabin Ideas

Filled with hundreds of colour photographs, this comprehensive handbook in the highly successful 150 BestRead More →
Modern Minimalist Red House in Portugal

Herdade da Considerada is a tract of arid land with 500 hectares, about seven kilometresRead More →