People’s House (destroyed)

People's house Brussels is called the crown of the career of Victor Orth. The architect received an order for the construction of this building from the Belgian Workers' Party in 1895. Folk houses existed in different countries of Europe, these were functional institutions, the main purpose of which was initially to educate adults and children. Later, the functions of the people's houses expanded: to the classrooms and lecture halls began to add places for leisure activities - cafes, places of recreation, bakeries, museums and clothing stores. The building to be built by Victor Horta was to become the new headquarters of the Workers' Party, but included all the important components of the people's houses.

When designing this building, the architect had a difficult task: the structure had to be placed on a wedge-shaped site of irregular shape, which adjoined the round square of Emil Vandervelde in the center of Brussels, and also was located on a slope. But despite all the difficulties, Horta was able to build a four-story building with maximum functionality. On the first floor there were shops and a cafe-restaurant, on the second and third - party rooms, conference rooms, a library and various multifunctional rooms, and on the fourth - an auditorium and concert hall, accommodating more than two thousand people.

Unlike the mansions that Orta designed earlier, the number of decorations and decorative elements in the People’s House was minimized. It was a purely functional building, built mainly from white cast iron. The only recognizable modernist features were balustrades with smooth curved lines and small bends of columns. Roofs were adorned with tablets with the names of people who made a significant contribution to the cause of socialism, including Karl Marx and Leon Blum.

The opening of the People’s House was a big event for Belgium and for socialists in general. This event was written on the front pages of the Brussels newspapers, posters with announcements of the opening, which was attended by French socialist leader Jean Jaures, were hung around the city. However, despite the undoubted importance of the People’s House for the city, this building did not last long. In the mid-twentieth century, the Brussels authorities initiated a massive reconstruction, which turned into an uncontrolled demolition of historical buildings. This phenomenon gave rise to the term "brussels", which is used to talk about the destruction of historic buildings and the chaotic development of vacant space with skyscrapers.

The same sad fate awaited the Victor Orth People's House. It was demolished in 1965, despite a massive protest in which more than 700 architects participated. It was assumed that the building was completely dismantled and transferred to another place, but this never happened. In place of the People’s House, the same year a “aesthetically soulless” concrete skyscraper was built.

Author: Evgenia Sidelnikova