Victor Horta; Hotel Tassel

Victor Horta

Victor Horta was one of the leading architects and designers, his innovative use of exposed ironwork and open-plan space characterised Horta as one of the pioneers and leading practitioners of art nouveau architecture. 

He built several buildings and houses but without doubt the turning point for the architect Horta came in 1892-1893 with his Tassel House (located in Brussels) which had a revolutionary combination of structural features in iron and curvilinear botanical forms, later described as "biomorphic whiplash". Elaborate serpentine ornamentations in metal and glass were hidden behind a stone facade that merged happily with the more conventional houses alongside. With this he became one of the earliest initiators of Art Nouveau, and this town houses are some of the most remarkable pioneering works of architecture of the end of the 19th century. 

At the Hôtel Tassel, the house consisted of three different parts. Two rather conventional buildings in brick and natural stone, one on the side of the street and one on the side of the garden which were linked by a steel structure covered with glass. It functions as the connective part in the spatial composition of the house and contains staircases and landings that connect the different rooms and floors. Through the glass roof it functions as a light shaft that brings natural light into the centre of the building. In this part of the house, that could also be used for receiving guests, Horta made the maximum of his skills as an interior designer. He designed every single detail; doorhandles, woodwork, panels and windows in stained glass, mosaic flooring and the furnishing. 

It really fascinated me the fact that he was one of the first people who started combining different movements to create his own. He combined old and new and made it his own unique style. At the same time he used exposed cast iron as a structural material; produced a centralized floor plan in place of the traditional corridor arrangement, something that was not usual for that time. 

Bibliography

"Victor Horta (1861-1947)." Victor Horta: Biography of Belgian Architect. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.

"Baron Victor Horta (1861 to 1947)." Art Nouveau Artist. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.

"Victor HORTA." HORTA, Biography by Www.Senses-Artnouveau.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.