#Apartment house #Brussels (Bruxelles) #Belgium #1939
36, Avenue Général de Gaulle
1050
Brussels (Bruxelles),
Belgium
Public transport: Etangs d'Ixelles
Today's use: Apartments
Description
La Cascade is a particularly elegant example of late-1930s Belgian Modernism. Its design is defined by strong horizontal lines, geometric volumes, rounded corners and carefully integrated balconies.
The façade is divided into five bays and is organised around a strong vertical entrance axis. The ground floor is faced in blue stone, while the upper storeys are clad in beige ceramic tiles. The original tiles were manufactured by Maison Helman in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe; the present tiles are later replacements.
Rounded balconies, curved metal window frames and the streamlined composition give the building a distinctive nautical character, often associated with the Paquebot or Streamline Moderne aesthetic. The rounded forms are particularly effective against the predominantly horizontal composition of the façade. The curved windows, which transition into the balconies at either end of the building, are a particularly striking feature. Windows play a significant role throughout the design: in addition to the large windows serving the living spaces, two oculus windows are incorporated beside the main entrance. Together with the rhythmic articulation of the façade, the windows play a central role in defining the building's form and decorative character.
The upper storeys are stepped back from the main façade and preceded by terraces with steel balustrades. This creates a distinctive graduated silhouette.
The building originally had already ten levels, with the two upper levels set back behind terraces. It originally contained a pergola. In 1951 this was enclosed and converted into a winter garden. The present top level is consequently original in its position and overall conception, although its enclosure is a post-war alteration.
The two garages are most probably original.
Description
La Cascade is a particularly elegant example of late-1930s Belgian Modernism. Its design is defined by strong horizontal lines, geometric volumes, rounded corners and carefully integrated balconies.
The façade is divided into five bays and is organised around a strong vertical entrance axis. The ground floor is faced in blue stone, while the upper storeys are clad in beige ceramic tiles. The original tiles were manufactured by Maison Helman in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe; the present tiles are later replacements.
Rounded balconies, curved metal window frames and the streamlined composition give the building a distinctive nautical character, often associated with the Paquebot or Streamline Moderne aesthetic. The rounded forms are particularly effective against the predominantly horizontal composition of the façade. The curved windows, which transition into the balconies at either end of the building, are a particularly striking feature. Windows play a significant role throughout the design: in addition to the large windows serving the living spaces, two oculus windows are incorporated beside the main entrance. Together with the rhythmic articulation of the façade, the windows play a central role in defining the building's form and decorative character.
The upper storeys are stepped back from the main façade and preceded by terraces with steel balustrades. This creates a distinctive graduated silhouette.
The building originally had already ten levels, with the two upper levels set back behind terraces. It originally contained a pergola. In 1951 this was enclosed and converted into a winter garden. The present top level is consequently original in its position and overall conception, although its enclosure is a post-war alteration.
The two garages are most probably original.
History
La Cascade is a modernist apartment building at 36–37 Avenue Général de Gaulle in the neighborhood Ixelles, overlooking the pond Étangs d’Ixelles. It was designed by the architect René Ajoux in 1939 and built for Jean-Florian Collin, one of Brussels' leading developers of apartment buildings. The building belongs to the wave of modern apartment construction that transformed Ixelles in the late 1930s.
La Cascade replaced earlier private houses and stands in striking contrast to the older neighbouring houses. It represents the transition from the decorative architecture of the early twentieth century to the streamlined Modernism of the late 1930s.
The name La Cascade recalls the former name of the avenue, which was known as Avenue de la Cascade from 1876 until it was renamed Avenue Général de Gaulle in 1945. In August 2024 the building was entered into the legal inventory of the architectural heritage of the Brussels-Capital Region.
History
La Cascade is a modernist apartment building at 36–37 Avenue Général de Gaulle in the neighborhood Ixelles, overlooking the pond Étangs d’Ixelles. It was designed by the architect René Ajoux in 1939 and built for Jean-Florian Collin, one of Brussels' leading developers of apartment buildings. The building belongs to the wave of modern apartment construction that transformed Ixelles in the late 1930s.
La Cascade replaced earlier private houses and stands in striking contrast to the older neighbouring houses. It represents the transition from the decorative architecture of the early twentieth century to the streamlined Modernism of the late 1930s.
The name La Cascade recalls the former name of the avenue, which was known as Avenue de la Cascade from 1876 until it was renamed Avenue Général de Gaulle in 1945. In August 2024 the building was entered into the legal inventory of the architectural heritage of the Brussels-Capital Region.
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