Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels

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The BOZAR at the Rue Ravensteinstraat

The Paleis voor Schone Kunsten (Dutch) or Palais des Beaux Arts (French) is cultural venue in Brussels, Belgium. Often referred to as "Bozar" or "PSK", construction was completed in 1928 and includes exhibition and conference rooms, movie theater and concert hall which serves as home to the National Orchestra of Belgium.

Following the First World War, funding was initially denied for the plans by Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta (1861-1947) by the Belgian Parliament. With the founding of the Société du Palais des Beaux-Arts in 1922, the project was revived with several restrictions: the city supplied a very irregular area on the slope between the higher and the lower part of the city. The main facade had to house shopping facilities. The height was restricted not to compromise the King's view of Brussels' skyline from the Royal Palace.

It took more than a decade to complete the complex that contains a large concert hall, a recital room, a chamber music room, lecture rooms and a vast gallery for temporary exhibitions. Horta created a stunning Art Deco masterpiece. He managed to put together this array of different functions on a rather small building plot with restricted conditions using more than 8 building levels with a large part situated underground.

Since 2002, the Belgian federal intuition has chosen the brand name BOZAR which has seven artistic departments: Bozar Expo, Bozar Music, Bozar Cinema, Bozar Dance, Bozar Theatre, Bozar Literature, Bozar Studios and Boxar Architecture. The Bozar is home to the National Orchestra of Belgium, the Société Philharmonique/Philharmonische Vereniging which invites the world's major orchestras and performers to appear at the Le Boeuf Hall. The finals of the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition are held there also.