BOZAR — Attraction in Brussels

BOZAR - History

The Centre for Fine Arts, a palace of the arts. Immense and yet almost invisible, overlooking the city and yet buried underground, multiple and yet unified, prestigious and yet open to all...this was how Victor Horta imagined the first cultural centre of its kind to be constructed in Europe, the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts.

His ambitious project was designed to meet several challenges. A town planning one, first of all: linking the upper to the lower town. An architectural one: creating a building that would meet the needs of different disciplines while still preserving its own architectural cogency. An artistic challenge: to host all forms of art, at the highest level and in the best possible conditions. A cultural challenge, finally: to make art accessible to as many people as possible, free of elitism but without lowering standards.

The Centre for Fine Arts first opened its doors in 1928. Here, Horta traded the sinuous lines of art nouveau for the geometric design language of art deco, but the incidence of light in the exhibition rooms and the ingenious arrangement of the different spaces betray the hand of the master. In his memoirs, Horta referred to the Centre as a high point in his career.

An underground "Mount" of the Arts All forms of art come together in the PSK. Horta pieced together a jigsaw combining three concert halls, exhibition spaces, and lecture rooms in one harmonious whole. From the outset, music and exhibitions were placed on an equal footing. The open plan was made possible by a steel skeleton of rafters and the use of reinforced concrete.

When walking through the building, without really being aware of it one is climbing a hill: the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg. In total, Horta’s Palace has no fewer than eight levels. It is quite difficult to represent all these floors and mezzanines in a single, easy-to-use floor plan. In order to orient oneself, it is easiest to use the main entrance on rue Ravenstein/Ravensteinstraat as the point of reference.

BOZAR - Architecture

Shortly after the First World War, the Belgian architect Victor Horta (1861-1947) began to plan the Centre for Fine Arts (Palais des Beaux-Arts/Paleis voor Schone Kunsten). The building was part of his urban development project for the Mont des Arts/Kunstberg ("Mount of the Arts").

Horta is primarily known for his mansions in pure art-nouveau style, built at the end of the nineteenth century. In the Victor Horta Museum – Horta’s former private home and studio – it is possible to take a look behind the scenes. In Horta’s work, architecture and interior design are inextricably bound together. The leaded windows, cast-iron railings, floral decoration on the floors and walls, and furniture designed by Horta himself: all combine to create an unforgettable impression.

Horta was forced to cope with quite a few obstacles before he could realise his plans, which were seen by many as crazy. Edward Anseele, the minister of public works, was immediately interested in his plans. In 1920, however, parliament refused to approve funding, until in 1922 the Société du Palais des Beaux-Arts came into being and the project finally got off the ground.

The City of Brussels made available an irregular plot measuring 8000m2. In exchange, they insisted that shops had to be placed along the street front. This elicited the following outburst from Horta in his memoirs: "Palace? That is not how I think of it: just an arts centre, because I would never be able to give that name to a construction whose main facade is taken up by shops."

On the rue Royale/Koningsstraat, higher up the hill, the Centre was not permitted to spoil the king’s view of the lower town. The height of the building was therefore strictly limited and the majority of the "Palace" was built...

Organisation is a disaster !!! Went to the BIFFF with friends, never again ! Try watching a film surrounded by hooligans. Throughout the films there was shouting, screaming, clapping, howling and people making kissing sounds. There is nothing the organisation even tries do about it ( like flicking the light on and off, stopping the film). You can't reserve a seat. But, in between films people leave all kinds of sweaters and stuff in order to keep there seat and then don't show up. The organisation doesn't bother forbidding this or taking the stuff away. There's queuing in between films because of bad planning There is a vip section, but behind this section the seats were all empty. Instead the non-vips were stuffed in the overcrowded part closest to the screen forcing everybody to look upwards, how's that for comfort. Don't eat anything : the burgers were raw on the inside So that's regarding the BIFFF. The only thing positive about this festival was the choice of films. I sincerely hope filmmakers will consider presenting their artwork at other venues in Belgium. The Bozar venue itself on the other hand is quite beautiful. Consider coming half an hour earlier if you need to buy a ticket: there's...

A Concert Hall Like an Open Grand Piano

BOZAR is not just a concert hall—it is an instrument in itself. The architecture unfolds like the lid of a grand piano, as if inviting the music not just to be played but to resonate through its very structure. The hall is expansive, warm, full of depth. Music here is not only heard; it is felt.

But it is not only sound that defines this place. The exhibitions weave into the atmosphere, allowing music and visual art to merge. The current tribute to the African pioneers of painting is more than a gesture—it enriches the experience, adding another layer to this vibrant space.

And this is what makes BOZAR unique. While culture elsewhere often becomes an exclusive affair, here it is natural, accessible, an integral part of life. People come and go, returning as if they had never truly left. BOZAR has the potential to think beyond the present moment—not just revisiting the past but shaping the future. A space where art and...