Lhe owner of the place, Alexandre Wittamer, as well as the Brussels Secretary of State for Urban Planning and Heritage, Ans Persoons, and the mayor of the City of Brussels, Philippe Close, were present at the foot of this jewel of Art again to celebrate the end of the work.
Built for Armand Solvay and his family from 1895, this private mansion stands on Avenue Louise, and synthesizes the architectural thought of Victor Horta, as well as his desire for total art. In 1957, the building was bought by the Wittamer family with the aim of making it a haute couture house. It will then be classified as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2000.
The facade of the building, made of white and blue stones, is punctuated by side oriel windows with large windows and their exposed metal structures. The decision to undertake restoration work on the street facade was taken in 2019, when the owner noticed that the lower part of the loggia, above the front door, presented an advanced state of corrosion.
The campaign to restore the facade, but also the roofs, was carried out under the direction of architect Barbara Van der Wee and the supervision of Urban.brussels. Concerning the facade, the project consisted of restoring and consolidating the structure of the metalwork and artistic ironwork, explains Ms. Van der Wee.
The exterior wooden joinery, stained glass windows and natural stone have also been restored. The lead cladding of the balconies has been renovated, and the rainwater drains have been modified. The metal parts and joinery have finally been repainted in their original color.
The project, launched in March 2022, was completed at the end of summer 2024. The Solvay Hotel continued to welcome visitors throughout the work.
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