#brussels architecture

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In the 15th century a little chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame was built here at the extreme limit (“finis terrae”) of Brussels. The church here today was built to replace the chapel that had become too small.

[smalltravelfacts-blog]

The Parc du Cinquantenaire means "Park of the fiftieth anniversary". It was built to commemorate fifty years of Belgian independence. (at Arcade du Cinquantenaire)

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Villa Empain. Brussels, Belgium

Michel Polak, architect, 1930-1934

Although art lover Louis Empain initially commissioned this building as a private residence, he did not wish to live in it. A few years after its completion, Empain donated the Art Deco masterpiece to be used as a museum of decorative arts. It never fully served this function, and eventually the building was abandoned.

It has now been restored as the Boghossian Foundation:

http://villaempain.com/en/histoire-villa

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Fernand Khnopff (Belgian, 1858-1921)

Belgian Symbolist painter Fernand Khnopff collaborated with architect Edouard Pelseneer to design this Secessionist / Art nouveau home and art studio. It was a private shrine to beauty where very few people were invited, with a statue of goddess Aphrodite at the pinnacle. After his brief marriage, Khnopff constructed this sanctuary with false windows, in keeping with his motto, “One’s self alone.” After Khnopff’s death, his heirs destroyed his private letters and demolished his home in 1936.

Villa Khnopff, 41 Avenue des Courses, Brussels, 1900-1902

http://www.artmagick.com/articles/article.aspx?id=11694

See also:

http://hideback.tumblr.com/post/68779246082/fernand-khnopff-belgian-1858-1921-khnopff