Maison Autrique
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Autrique Huis (Dutch) or Maison Autrique (French) (Autrique house) was the first town house built by Victor Horta in the Art Nouveau style (1893). In many ways it was an innovative dwelling although it doesn't features the novel spatial composition of the almost contemporary Hôtel Tassel. The house is located 266, Chaussée de Haecht / Haachtsesteenweg, in the municipality of Schaerbeek in Brussels. It was built for the engineer Eugène Autrique and his family. Due to budget restrictions the family wanted a simple but comfortable home. For this reason many custom made details, which Horta designed himself in most of the other town houses he built, were abolished.
The Autrique House was kept in a relatively good condition during the 20th century. In the 1990s it was bought by the municipality of Schaerbeek. It was thoroughly renovated and is now opened to the public.