Villa Empain, Art Deco cultural centre in Brussels, Belgium
Villa Empain is an Art Deco residence in Brussels featuring marble-clad walls, teak woodwork, and geometric patterns in its rooms and hallways. The property includes a spacious interior courtyard with a swimming pool and multiple spaces decorated with refined architectural details.
Baron Louis Empain, son of industrialist Édouard Empain, commissioned Swiss-Belgian architect Michel Polak to build the villa in 1930; it was completed in 1934. Empain donated it to the Belgian state in 1937 for a museum of applied arts, but the German Army requisitioned it in 1943. After the war it housed the Soviet embassy, later served as offices for RTL, and was acquired by the Boghossian Foundation in 2007.
The Boghossian Foundation, which acquired the villa in 2006, runs it as a cultural centre and exhibition space. The building's name comes from Baron Louis Empain, who commissioned it at age 23. Inside, visitors can see the grand polyptych 'La Voie Lactée', made of sandblasted and acid-etched glass by Paule and Max Ingrand, and ironwork by Edgar Brandt.
The site is open to visitors for exploring the architecture and attending exhibitions and cultural events held throughout the year. Check ahead for current programming, as hours and activities change depending on what is being presented.
During the illegal raves held while the villa stood empty, graffiti was scrawled on its marble walls and fittings disappeared, among them radiator grilles and a decorative fish from the bar's fountain. The Boghossian Foundation bought the building in 2006 and had Francis Metzger restore it between 2009 and 2010.
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