Hôtel van Eetvelde — Attraction in Brussels

Not Horta's best work, but very interesting to see of course. Technically it is fascinating, the layout breaks with every convention of the time, and the facade might just be the very first curtain wall ever, but esthetically I found it flirting with pomp and tinsel, in no way comparable to the impeccable taste evidenced in his own house (Hortamuseum).

What put me off most however was the general state of dilapidation, I was under the impression that the house had just gone through a yearlong full restoration, but rest assured that this is ABSOLUTELY NOT the case!

You really have to squint and gloss over the sorry state of all the details in order to imagine its former glory, which is outright shameful for the head office of a semi-public institution.

Adding to our slight disapointment, the visit is restricted to the ground and first floors only, upper floors remain inaccessible.

To top it off, the lady at the front was plain rude, she clearly didn't like her job.

Sometimes you really have to kill your darlings, but in all fairness the gas utilities company should try harder to do justice to the work of arguably Belgium's...

Not bad but not so worth it. I love Art Nouveau but this could be so much better than it is currently. The visit is quite quick, I didn’t feel like it was very well thought out. There is so much potential especially in the second house with the glass ceiling but it feels empty. For the price, I am not feeling like it’s much worth it. If you are in the area, do it....

This is an incredible building and architectural gem. The winter garden is sublime. Who would have expected a nondescript exterior to house such a wonderful interior? The curation on Eetvelde himself and colonial Congo was very informative as the historical context. I only wished more rooms in the house would be open to public access. Providing an audio guide...