Seventy-five years after the demolition of Hôtel Aubecq and twenty-five years after the Brussels Capital Region became the owner of its preserved façade, this exceptional heritage site is about to be given a second life. Thanks to an unprecedented public-private partnership, the monumental façade, designed by Victor Horta, will soon be accessible to the general public.
The new project to showcase the façade of Hôtel Aubecq, which is the result of a partnership between Urban and Constructiv, aims to restore the visibility of this major work by Victor Horta. This first-of-its-kind partnership marks a new chapter in the long history of this Art Nouveau masterpiece.
In 2024, Urban approached Prométhéa to organise a roundtable discussion with its members, most of whom are active in the construction sector. On this occasion, Embuild introduced the “Construcity Centre of Excellence for Training in Construction Trades” project, that is currently being developed by Constructiv, in conjunction with Embuild’s “Brussels Heritage Network”.
The idea of integrating the remains of Hôtel Aubecq into this project soon emerged as a logical choice: promoting Art Nouveau while training the craftspeople of tomorrow.
A Three-Phase Project
The aim of the public-private collaboration with Constructiv is to make the remains of this major work accessible to the public, while also contributing to the educational goal of providing training in the construction and heritage restoration trades.
The project is structured as follows:
- June 2025: Transfer of the stones, stored on pallets, to a secure warehouse on the future site of the training centre in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe.
- Autumn 2025: Public presentation of the reconstructed façade, laid out horizontally.
- Longer term: Permanent full or partial reassembly of the façade on the training centre site; the details of this phase remain to be defined.
A Turbulent History
Built in 1902 for the industrialist Octave Aubecq, the townhouse’s address was no. 520 Avenue Louise. Designed by Horta at the height of his career, the Art Nouveau building had a brief existence: the heirs sold the property for demolition, which took place as early as 1950 to make way for a block of flats. Thanks to the intervention of Jean Delhaye, a loyal collaborator of the architect, part of the façade was dismantled with a view to a future reconstruction, with the support of the then Minister of Public Works.
And so began a true odyssey for the stones of the Aubecq façade, as they moved from depot to depot, from wasteland to warehouse. Despite various attempts at reconstruction or exhibition, no concrete project was realised for decades. In 2001, the Brussels Capital Region became the owner. The stones were then cleaned, digitised in 3D, and transferred to the Rue Navez warehouse, where they were temporarily accessible to the public in 2011.
In 2011 ↓
Urban published a report based on an in-depth study of the remains. Their educational character was particularly highlighted on this occasion.
In 2014 ↓
Following the state reform, the Aubecq façade was officially recognised as movable cultural heritage, as a dismantled element of a historic building.
In 2021 ↓
With the Navez warehouse run-down and earmarked for other uses, Urban organised another emergency relocation while actively seeking a project that would do justice to this precious heritage. The stones were stored at the Demanet warehouse until June 2025.
In 2023 ↓
The Brussels Capital Region focused on promoting Art Nouveau in the capital, an opportunity to highlight this heritage. Some stones were exhibited at Bozar in the framework of the “Victor Horta and the Grammar of Art Nouveau” exhibition, while others were shown at the Fine Arts Museum in Tournai (also designed by Horta), in dialogue with works by contemporary artist Rémy Hans. An immersive exhibition is currently on display at LAB·AN / Hôtel van Eetvelde and remains open to visitors.
In 2025
A new life begins for the Aubecq façade thanks to the partnership between Urban and Constructiv.
