Victor Horta
Victor Horta ( born January 6, 1861 in Ghent, † September 8, 1947 in Etterbeek ) was a Belgian Art Nouveau architect. He was famous at the end of the 19th century by the novelty of his houses not only in Belgium but caused international sensation. For his services to architecture, he was awarded in 1932 by King Albert I of Belgium the title " Baron".
Life
He was born the son of a shoemaker in Ghent, where he first came into contact with the architectural profession when he helped his uncle on a building site at the age of twelve years. Horta initially enrolled in 1873 as a student at the Royal Academy for Fine Arts in Ghent for the Department of architecture, but declined in parallel from 1874 to 1877 on the lessons in the Koninklijk Atheneum aan de Ottogracht in Ghent in part. He then left the city in 1878 and moved to Montmartre in Paris to become an interior designer, and worked in the studio of interior designers Jules Debuysson. He was also inspired by the Impressionists and Pointillists and the opportunity to work with steel and glass. He later wrote in his memoirs: " My stay in Paris, my walks, my monument, visiting museums sparked my artistic sensitivity. No education had inspired me so strongly and sustainably can impress as the ' reading' of monuments. "
When Horta's father died in 1880, he returned to Belgium and moved to Brussels to study at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1913, he was director of the Academy for three years. Horta was twice married and the father of two daughters.
In Brussels, he became friends with Paul Hankar, who later also turned to Art Nouveau. Horta was a good student and he was appointed by his professor, the royal architect Alphonse Balat, to be his assistant. Together they designed the Royal Botanic Gardens in Laeken. This was the first time that Horta glass and steel related for his work.
In 1884 he received the Godecharle Prize for Architecture with a design for a Parliament building in Brussels.
1885, Horta was already working independently, he designed three houses for the Twaalfkamerenstraat in Ghent, which were still built in the same year. He then decided not to build homes for wealthy citizens, and devoted himself to public tenders. In 1887, he won with a design for a natural history museum the prize awarded every three years by the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels invited tenders for their former students. He focused on the shaping of his designs in the belief that his forms in the highest degree were practical and not an expression of an artistic affectation.
During this time, Horta made many contacts and joined the Freemasons. In 1893, he began again to design homes and shops.
1892 was the Hôtel Tassel, the interior of exposed cast iron structure and glass elements, in addition to a rich, consisting of organic shapes and soft lines ornamentation is characterized. Almost overnight, the 32- year-old architect was known by this house. 1893 Victor Horta built the Maison Autrique, followed by 1895/1896 the Maison Winssinger and from 1895 to 1900, the Hôtel Eetvelde, Victor Horta designed as a total work of art in the Art nouveau style. From 1896 to 1899 Victor Horta designed the Maison du Peuple, the headquarters of the Belgian Socialist Party, with a façade - the first building in Brussels - completely constructed of iron and glass. 1900/1901 was the department store à l' innovation, Victor Horta also built in the Art Nouveau style.
For late works include Horta Museum of Art inaugurated in 1928 in Tournai and finished after his death Brussels Central Station. Some of its buildings are since 2000 a World Heritage Site by UNESCO: Hôtel Tassel, Hôtel Solvay, Hôtel van Eetvelde and Maison and Atelier Horta.
His 1906 -built department store building Waucquez houses since 1988, the national Belgian Comic Strip Museum, the Belgian Comic Strip Centre ( BCZ ). The building seems to be a bit pompous architecture, all geared to the effect that should exert a temple of commerce to the customer. But here too, shows Horta's Championship, to achieve effects of light through glass roof constructions.
From 1912 Victor Horta taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels from 1913 to 1915 he was its director. From 1916 to 1919 remained at Victor Horta in London and in the United States. In the years after he moved away from the Art Nouveau, he designed his buildings now in a straighter, more classical form language, which is at 1922 to recognize built until 1928 Palais des Beaux -Arts in Brussels.
1939 Horta began writing his memoirs. In 1945, he decided to destroy most of his archive.
Reception
After the Art Nouveau lost its attraction, many designed by Horta buildings were destroyed, his former home, built in 1898 but was spared. This is not least due to the efforts of his former assistant Jean Delhaye, who took care of the preparation of his posthumous work, and with the establishment of Horta Museum in 1969 provided protection to the unchanged continuation of the building. The remaining houses Horta are now a protected monument, and especially his home and studio house has become a place of pilgrimage nouveau enthusiastic visitors.