Villa Horta "Haute Bise" in Sosoye

On the heights of Sosoye, an elegant villa is hidden in the wooded slope of the Molignée valley. Set in a rustic setting, the house underlines the importance the owner placed on the quality of the natural environment.

It was the architect Victor Horta who drew up the plans for this country house in 1905 for his friend and collaborator Fernand Dubois, a symbolist sculptor and medalist. Sharing a taste for the aesthetics of curves and counter-curves, they collaborated on the decoration of the salon of the Hotel Tassel in Brussels, considered to be the first true “Art Nouveau” building. The country houses designed by Victor Horta reveal a little-known facet of the architect’s work. When he built outside the usual urban context, he chose local materials. The implementation also changes with more rustic finishes.

In contrast to the splendour of the town houses, the “Haute Bise” villa whispers the characteristics of Art Nouveau. Reflecting Horta’s adaptation to the rural context, this sober construction, made of limestone rubble, is embellished with a loggia and a terrace opening onto nature and the panorama. The rear facade is punctuated by the arrangement of the openings and is enlivened by a few curves, while the large windows let in an abundance of light. Under the high slate roof, the whole appears very monochrome, like an echo of the mineral touches scattered in the landscape.

For more information, see our heritage sheet.