Brussels Art Nouveau
Following several recent columns on Furze Croft, St. Margaret’s and the Sussex Masonic Centre – some of Brighton & Hove’s finest 1920s and 30s Art Deco gems – I set off to Brussels to find more examples in Europe’s capital. After just a little research, a piece on Art Nouveau seemed far more appropriate. My last trip to Brussels was all about the usual tourist sites. This time, I set out to visit a very specific set of buildings.
Art Nouveau arose from the Arts & Crafts Movement and for examples in the UK, I would recommend the splendid buildings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Glasgow. There are many other examples across the continent – many of the best are in France – but I’m particularly fond of the work of Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona. Like Art Deco, Art Nouveau is a difficult style to define. It crosses many disciplines including even jewelry, textiles and household utensils. It is characterised by a natural theme, often floral, with a respectful nod towards technology.
Nothing’s likely to match my trip to New York in 2006 when I visited some of the world’s most famous Art Deco buildings including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the Rockefeller Centre. However, Brussels is certainly the place to go for Art Nouveau.
