VICTOR HORTA

Victor Horta was born in Ghent, January 6, 1861. Year he studied at the Conservatory of Ghent. Then he began to study architecture at the Ghent Academy of Arts. In 1878, he worked in Paris with architect J. Dyubuyssona. In 1880 he enrolled at the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts where he studied with A. Bala. The first stand-alone operation - three houses on the street Duz Chambray in Ghent. Since 1890, built a large number of houses in Brussels, including Tassel mansion on the streets of Turin.

Brussels in 1880-1890 ies was the center of artistic culture, where the crossroad main innovative trends in art. Sam Horta emphasized the importance of his contacts with artists in the development of new architectural styles.

No accident, therefore, that it was the Belgian managed to create a structure, start line, "Art Nouveau in the architecture of modernity - the mansion Tassel in Brussels. This house was the first on the continent is really brave in the architectural design of buildings. Completed in 1893, when yet there were no signs of a new European architecture, the house-Horta, marks a turning point in the development of architecture homes.

House on the rue de Turin is surrounded by private residential development in Brussels. Since he had to meet the conditions required for other buildings, its dimensions were the same as that of the surrounding buildings. Its facade has a length of seven meters. Building plan, developed on the basis of these pre-defined relationship has been resolved completely original.

In a typical Brussels house the entire lower floor visible from the entrance. Orta escaped the traditional reception, placing floor at various levels. Thus, the living room is located on the ground floor is higher than the hall that leads into it. The difference in level - just one way that Horta applied to give flexibility to lay the ground floor. He made a hollow massive body home, the light entering the mines, which were unusual new source of light in such a narrow front. Photographs can not convey the striking relations that exist between these located at different levels of accommodation.

Photo — «Victor Horta»

Horta's house was admired for two reasons: it is precisely match the tastes of the owner, and it is completely absent are any features of previous historical styles. Five years later, after the house was built by Ludwig Hevesy, an Austrian critic, published an article which shows how important contemporaries gave the home built by Horta.

"Now, in 1898, in Brussels, lived most inspired of contemporary architects - Victor Horta: His fame exactly six years old, she started with the construction of the house, the Tassel on the rue de Turin. It is one of the earliest known modern houses, which also fits its owner, as the impeccably tailored dress. This house provides an ideal "habitat" to the person for whom it was built. The house is very simple and logical. But - and note this - it is not the slightest imitation of any particular historical style. His lines and curved surface has a rare charm. "

In the living room of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton (1818) John Nash openly showed iron columns and beams that were in the construction of a skeleton, but no one has dared to expose Horta, the design inside a house. In the house of Horta on the stairs, there are columns and beams that draw attention to its form and decoration. Living room even more remarkable in this respect: the supporting beam I-section is completely open across the room.

The first impression of the interior of the house the visitor gets from the cast-iron columns, as if rising from the elevated landing of the first floor. Curved iron the leaves are moving away from its capitals, shaped vase. Its shape is somewhat like the capitals of simple plants, and partly a kind of abstract paintings. Their lines freely extended to the smooth surface of the walls and roof and a mosaic floor in the form of dynamic curvilinear patterns.

The house on the rue de Turin represents the first application of the principles of "new art" in architecture. It first became clear the main element of the new style - iron construction. What are these lines, if not deployed ribbon and rosettes, which are found under the eaves of many Belgian railway stations? With them are simply frustrated or pseudo-Renaissance masquerade.

Photo — «Victor Horta»

Architecture facade of the house on rue de Turin as original as the decor. Bay window - a standard part of every home in Brussels - is saved, but Horta turned it into a curved surface with a deep glazed openings. Smooth wall imperceptibly into this extended part of the facade. Despite the new simulation, the facade for the time when the house was built, sufficiently conservative: it's just the usual type of massive stone walls.

On the question of which way he came to build such an innovative structure, like a house on rue de Turin, Orta summer of 1938 said that during his youth aspiring architect had before him three options: become an expert on "styles of the Renaissance, Classical and Gothic . Horta believed such restrictions illogical: "I asked myself why architects can not be as independent as artists?" So the architect saw the Balata, which is thought to be his teacher. "Balat - classic and innovative, the best Belgian architect of the XIX century," - said Orta.

From a modern point of view, the house on the rue de Turin is remarkable that here we use the opportunities arising from the application of new materials, and conducted a free arrangement of rooms on different floors. This is one of Europe's first attempt of a new architectural solution space by a method that Le Corbusier later called the "free plan".

Since 1897 he taught at Horta Brussels Academy of Fine Arts. In the same year he built in Brussels, the People's House. Its curving facade of glass and metal is one of the most daring architectural design era. The freshness of conception, so characteristic of the buildings on the rue de Turin, even stronger in the People's House. The building trade union Orta truly proved himself a pioneer, as called him one of his contemporaries. Its facade, interior space, the interior is very different from previous works Horta. Visitors soon fall into the vast dining room with wide doorways, and uncovered a cast-iron frame. Horta put lecture hall, which is used relatively rarely, on the top floor.

Photo — «Victor Horta»

In every detail of the People's House felt the hand of an experienced architect who at the same time was also a genius inventor.

At the beginning of XX century, Horta built several commercial buildings. In 1901, employed in the construction of the building the store "Innovation" (Brussels) is an open iron frame.

In 1915, Horta was living in London, and soon moved to the U. S. . Here he remained until 1918, before the First World War. In 1922-1928 years the architect has created a project for the Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels.

Horta made a brilliant career. Since 1927 he headed the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts.

Horta's style is characterized by accentuated by the novelty and even sensationalism. He not only created a new architectural decoration, but also actively used the forms that are already widely existed, but enjoyed the status of "new", "modern". Therefore, in the work of Horta emerged combination of aesthetics of Symbolism irratsionalisticheskogo "organic" has begun and rationalistic tendencies. The combination of these opposite trends can be observed in dealing with the main facade of the People's House, which has an "organic" free plan, and in the vertical plane is a typical example of the late XIX century rationalism.

In this sense, Horta went on too strong tradition in France - a romantic interpretation of the Gothic, when forms of Gothic architecture were compared with the forms of vegetation. Gothic openwork, typical of many works of these architects came from this source. "I want to have a facade of express plan and design the building as it was done in the Gothic style, - said Horta - and like the Gothic to identify the material and the nature of display in a stylized decor.

Life architect ended September 9, 1947.