Hôtel Frison, Art Nouveau mansion in Pentagon district, Brussels, Belgium.
Hôtel Frison is a residential mansion in the Art Nouveau style in Brussels' Pentagon district, featuring a white limestone facade with blue stone bands and wrought iron balconies. The mansard roof topped with copper and its three-part dormer window create the distinctive profile of this multi-level townhouse.
Maurice Frison, a socialist lawyer and member of the Belgian Workers Party, commissioned Victor Horta to design this residence and office building in 1894. The work emerged during a period when Horta was establishing the foundations of Belgian Art Nouveau and developing innovative solutions for urban housing.
The residence represents an early expression of Art Nouveau in Brussels, with organic forms in frescoes and architectural details that show the design philosophy of the time. These artistic elements define its overall appearance and show how beauty and function came together in residential architecture.
The building can be visited through organized tours offered by the Foundation Frison Horta at Rue Lebeau 37, providing access to the restored interior spaces. Visitors should check ahead to confirm tour availability, as these are scheduled regularly but not offered every day.
The house features eight different floor levels, with the main staircase occupying half the building's width and creating an unexpected spatial arrangement. This unconventional floor plan allowed Horta to maximize living space across multiple levels while creating an impressive stair hall.
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