Villa Beau-Site
| Villa Beau-Site | |
|---|---|
 The Villa Beau-Site (centre) with its two neighbours | |
Interactive map of the Villa Beau-Site area | |
| Alternative names | Nelissen House |
| General information | |
| Type | Town house |
| Architectural style | Art Nouveau |
| Location | Avenue du Mont Kemmel / Kemmelberglaan 5, 1190 Forest, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium |
| Coordinates | 50°49′19″N 4°20′27″E / 50.82194°N 4.34083°E |
| Completed | 1905 |
| Client | Arthur Nelissen |
| Design and construction | |
| Designations | Protected (23/02/2006) |
| References | |
| [1] | |
The Villa Beau-Site, also known as the Nelissen House (French: Maison Nelissen; Dutch: Huis Nelissen), is a historic town house in Brussels, Belgium. It was built in 1905, in Art Nouveau style, as the private residence of the Dutch-born architect Arthur Nelissen and his wife, soon after their wedding.[2] It was classified as a protected monument in 2006.[3] It is located at 5, avenue du Mont Kemmel/Kemmelberglaan in the municipality of Forest.
Building
The building's unusually narrow façade, measuring under 5 metres (16 ft), is richly decorated. The ground floor, in sinuous Art Nouveau style, has an asymmetrical layout and is made of blue stone with original, elaborate wrought iron details.[3] The first floor is dominated by a large horseshoe arch that perforates the façade, giving way to a small loggia. Behind the loggia, another horseshoe arch frames the window opening. The top floor contains a small wrought iron balcony, and the very top of the façade is adorned with a bas-relief depicting a vase of flowers. The façade is mainly made of brick: white bricks cover most of its surface, while green bricks and blue stone have been used to highlight the arch and other features.[2] In 1920, decoration in the form of stylised roses was added between the first and second floors.[3]
Inside, the building preserves its original floor plan. It forms part of a row of homogeneous town houses, built between 1904 and 1910 in eclectic styles, overlooking Forest Park.[2][3]
The building bears certain similarities to the Saint-Cyr House, designed by the architect Gustave Strauven and also located in Brussels.[2] The official list of Brussels' architectural heritage describes the building's façade as "remarkable" and the art historian Cécile Dubois has described the building as "a stunning architectural gem".[2][3]
-
Bay window on the first floor -
The architect's signature
See also
- Art Nouveau in Brussels
- History of Brussels
- Culture of Belgium
- Belgium in the long nineteenth century
References
- ^ Région de Bruxelles-Capitale (2014–2016). "Villa Beau-Site" (in French). Brussels. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Dubois, Cécile (2018). Brussels Art Nouveau. Brussels: Lannoo. pp. 50–51. ISBN 978-2-39025-045-6.
- ^ a b c d e "Villa Beau-Site". Inventaire du patrimoine architectural (in French). Patrimoine Bruxelles. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
External links
Media related to Villa Beau-Site at Wikimedia Commons
