The Maison Autrique, Victor Horta's first building of

note, is a milestone in Brussels architectural heritage. Firstly, this house (built in 1893) represents an

essential step in the evolution of the greatest of Belgian architects, and secondly, this building has

recently undergone a groundbreaking renovation particularly relevant to a better understanding of the

birth of Art Nouveau.

The project - conceived by François Schuiten and

Benoît Peeters - is to turn the building into a sort of "Archetypal house", a tribute to Brussels private

architecture and to open a door on a fantasy world. Stage-managed from cellar to loft, the Maison

Autrique shows up the historical and aesthetic interest of Brussels houses, bringing out their seduction

and their mystery.