30. Haerens Mansion

In 1928, the Art Deco architect Antoine Courtens was involved in two major projects: “Le Palais de la Folle Chanson” in Ixelles and this house for the engineer Robert Haerens and his wife, the sculptor Luisa Robelus. The Haerens building includes two separate apartments, each with its own entrance. The main apartment is on the first floor with a monumental entrance on Avenue Brugmann, and a central, circular reception hall, topped with a glass cupola which allows daylight to flood into the centre of the apartment. As always in the buildings of Antoine Courtens, the finishes are very sophisticated, such as the cutting and arrangement of marble and the wrought-ironwork designed by the architect. The facades of the building were recently restored and today it is used as offices.

Arch. Antoine COURTENS, 1928