Belgium: 'Living' architecture

Art Nouveau or Jugendstil was a style of art inspired by natural organic forms and curves. Its beginnings can be traced back to a graphic produced by a Czech artist, Alphonse Mucha for a local ad. It went on to influence various forms of decorative arts, furniture design and architecture.

Gismonda by Alphonse Mucha in 1894. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Along with the Arts and Crafts Movement, these artists and designers rejected industrial mass production in favour of individualistic and stylised hand crafted art and design. Victor Horta and Antoni Gaudi are the most well known architects from the Art Nouveau period.

Victor Horta

Victor Horta, a Belgian architect is credited for being the first to introduce the style into architecture. Hotel Tassel at Brussels, built in 1900 is considered among the finest examples of the Art Nouveau Movement in architecture.

Front Facade of Hotel Tassel, Source: http://openbuildings.com/

The extensive use of traditional materials like stone along with modern materials like iron and glass make for spectacular visuals, both inside and outside the buildings. 

Stone, Iron, Glass. Source: Source: http://photos.bruxelles5.info/

Entrance to Hotel Tassel, Source: www.flickr.com

The hotel design is a combination of Baroque and Classical elements built around a free flowing plan, brought to life by highly innovative, detailed iron tendrils and exotic tapestry. Every detail in the interior seems to flower and flow out into the walls, columns and pillars while extending into each other. There is a unity between architecture, interior and furniture elements.

Wall decoration and Lights at Hotel Tassel in Brussels, Belgium
Source: http://www.belltowndesign.com/

Stepping into the hotel makes the visitor feel like he stepped into the 3D version of the colors and patterns on a 2D canvas of an intricate and vibrant painting, twirling and translating itself into every object around!

Main Stairway on the ground floor in Hotel Tassel,
Source: http://www.studyblue.com/

View from the Ground Floor
Source: http://photos.bruxelles5.info/

Intricate iron detailing in staircase juxtaposed
with mosaic patterns
Source: http://photos.bruxelles5.info

Iron Pillar breaks out into patterns
that extend into the ceiling
Source: www.flickr.com

Another prominent example is Victor Horta's House at Brussels, Belgium. 

The front facade, Victor Horta House
Source: http://www.bluffton.edu/

View across Stairway at Victor Horta's House
Source: http://www.flickr.com

Stairwell at Victor Horta's House in Brussels
Source: http://seb89.wordpress.com/

The open plan and sections in these projects show the influence of the Art Nouveau Movement in the shaping of Modern Architecture. 

Post war, the popularity of expensive organic detailing gave way to more simple modern structures. Many buildings in the Art Nouveau style were demolished. The open planning and use of latest building techniques took the next step with the dawn of the Modern era. 

Staircase detail inside House of the People built 1896-99 in Brussels by Victor Horta
(demolished in 1965)
Source: http://www.cupola.com/