After Art Nouveau in 2023, this year is Art Deco Year!
In 2025, the capital pays tribute to this colourful trend with a rich programme presented jointly by Urban and visit.brussels, in association with Patrimoine & Culture non-profit organisation, and their many partners.
Throughout the year, Urban will regularly showcase a theme related to the year's programme. For this first focus, the wonderful world of cinema takes centre stage with the opening of the exhibition "Cinémas Art Deco à Bruxelles" at Halles Saint-Géry in late January.
In the aftermath of the Great War, society was gripped by a wave of renewal that affected all aspects of life, including leisure activities, which were becoming increasingly democratic. From the 1920s onwards, there was an unprecedented appetite for cinema, a simple pleasure accessible to all. This first great golden age of cinema coincided with the advent of Art Deco, which found a perfect expression in the design of cinemas.
Modernity and refinement
In the interwar period, cinema became a type of architecture in its own right, and Art Deco, with its taste for geometrical forms, noble materials and warm colours, helped turn these venues into veritable temples dedicated to the seventh art.
The quest for modernity that characterised the Art Deco era led to advances in technology and comfort. In the late 1920s, two key innovations would revolutionise cinema architecture: the transition from silent to talking films, which required technical changes, particularly in terms of acoustics, and the invention of neon, which transformed cinema facades into giant posters.
In Brussels, large cinemas were established up in the city centre, while a host of local cinemas sprung up in the surrounding neighbourhoods. On the eve of the Second World War, the capital had no fewer than 115 cinemas!
What remains of Brussels Art Deco cinemas today?
Subject to trends and innovation, cinemas are rapidly modernising or even disappearing. In Brussels, only a few examples remain from the interwar period.
All the more reason for Urban to preserve these invaluable witnesses to the first golden age of cinema. Several cinemas have been protected and restored, including the Marivaux (1923), Eldorado (1933) and Movy Club (1934) in Forest.
Behind its glass façade, UGC De Brouckère houses the magnificent Art Deco auditorium of the former Eldorado cinema, designed by architect Marcel Chabot. It retains its gilded decor, which uses the exotic imagery of the Congo as a Belgian "Eldorado", an illustration of the colonial propaganda of the time. The walls are adorned with reliefs depicting nature and daily life in the Congo, while a monumental sun shines from the ceiling. Restored in 1992, the cinema has been a listed building since 1994.
The Movy Club is one of the capital's last neighbourhood cinemas. Protected since 1997 and acquired by the Region in 2016, the cinema is currently being restored as part of the URC4 (Urban Renewal Contract no 4 - "Avenue du Roi"), which is being supported by Urban's teams. It will also include a neighbourhood socio-cultural facility and is due to reopen in 2027.
Art Deco Brussels 2025 programme
Throughout the year, the Art Deco Brussels 2025 programme will give people the chance to discover some of these iconic Brussels cinemas.
The "Cinémas Art Deco à Bruxelles" exhibition
In partnership with Urban, this exhibition will be held at the Halles Saint-Géry from 27 January to 11 May 2025. It is designed to introduce visitors to the magical world of interwar cinema by presenting the capital's famous and lesser-known cinemas and includes an immersive installation, "Cinémas de Bruxelles augmentés".
The exhibition is accompanied by a rich programme of related activities, including exclusive tours of the Eldorado. To prolong the exhibition experience, discover the book by Isabel Biver that served as the basis for the exhibition: "Cinémas de Bruxelles", an update of the first book dedicated to the capital's cinemas, published by CFC in 2020.
Also not to be missed
- Iconic cinema-related sites accessible throughout 2025
In addition to Eldorado, enjoy year-round film screenings in exceptional Art Deco venues, such as Bozar, a jewel by Victor Horta (1928), or the former National Institute for Radio Broadcasting (NIR) building, designed by architect Diongre (1935-1938), on Place Flagey.
- Unique guided tours
In addition to the tours of Eldorado, several partners will be giving visitors the opportunity to discover Art Deco with guided tours throughout the year: Arkadia, ARAU, Korei, Explore.Brussels, Brussels Chatterguides, Pro Velo, Itinéraires and Brussels Art Deco Society.
- The BANAD Festival
Countless venues will also be open during the BANAD Festival, which will showcase Art Deco from 15 to 30 March 2025. Urban will also present its publications on a stand at the Salon des Restaurateurs.
Find out more about cinemas in Brussels
Did you know?
The former Métropole cinema on Rue Neuve, now a retail store, still houses the most monumental work by French sculptor Ossip Zadkine in its original location, although it is now hidden from view.
"La Danse", a bas-relief commissioned in 1930 by architect Blomme for the cinema's screen surround, was bequeathed to Urban in 2020 to be showcased in a location accessible to the public. The plan is to incorporate it into the Jewish Museum of Belgium as part of its renovation. Urban faces a sizeable challenge in restoring this imposing relief due to its fragility.
Publication: "History of Brussels cinemas"
Urban dedicated issue no. 35 of its "Bruxelles, Ville d'Art et d'Histoire" collection to the "Histoire des cinémas bruxellois". Released in 2008, the publication provides an illustrated overview of Brussels' cinemas, from the first screening in 1896 to the present day, including the golden age of the 1930s.
Publication : "L’architecture de lumière à Bruxelles pendant l’entre-deux-guerres"
As part of the 19th Heritage Days event, the theme of which was "Light and Illumination", Urban published a fascinating article on the architecture of light in the interwar period, including the revolutionary use of neon in cinemas.
