Hôtel van Eetvelde, Art Nouveau mansion in Squares Quarter, Brussels, Belgium.
Hôtel van Eetvelde is a late 19th-century residence featuring flowing curved lines, detailed wrought ironwork, and a central eight-sided light well at its core. Colored glass panels above this atrium allow daylight to filter into the interior spaces in varied hues.
The house was built in 1897 for a Belgian colonial official during a period when Brussels was undergoing significant urban transformation. It emerged when the city was adopting new construction methods and architectural innovations.
The house displays natural imagery through floral patterns and vine-like metalwork that cover its interior spaces. Visitors can observe how these organic shapes were incorporated into everyday architectural details throughout the rooms.
The building opens to visitors on weekends and holidays with exhibitions about architectural history from that era. The interior is accessed through the main entrance, and guided tours help explain the building's distinctive features.
The eight-sided roof window above the atrium glows in green, pink, and orange, creating shifting light patterns throughout the day in the rooms below. These colored light rays demonstrate how the architect blended industrial materials with artistic intent.
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