- Paul Hankar
Paul Hankar (
Frameries , 11 December 1859 -Brussels , 17 January 1901) was a Belgianarchitect anddesigner who, along withVictor Horta andHenry Van de Velde , is considered one of the principal architects to work in theArt Nouveau style inBrussels at the turn of the twentieth century.Formative Studies
which he would later use in many of his projects.
Early career
In 1888, Hankar began his activity as an architect and
furniture designer in Brussels and collaborated with the interior designerAdolphe Crespin . One well-known poster by Crespin from about 1893 advertises Hankar's practice on the rue de Facqz in Brussels. He then was commissioned to design the Palacio de Chávarri inBilbao ,Spain , which was constructed for the businessman Víctor Chávarri in 1889.Five years later, in 1893, he built his own house, which along with Victor Horta's
Hôtel Tassel (constructed at the same time) is considered one of the first two houses in the world built in the Art Nouveau style.Mature Work
In 1896, Hankar presented a project for a « Cité des Artistes » ("Artists' City") for the seaside town of
Westende , in which he conceived of an artists' cooperative with housing and studios. Though the project never was realized, five years later it would inspire the artists of theDarmstadt Artists' Colony inDarmstadt ,Germany , and the artists of theVienna Secession .For the 1897
World's Fair in Brussels, Hankar, along with Henry Van de Velde,Gustave Serrurier-Bovy (an Art Nouveau architect and designer fromLiège ), andGeorges Hobé , was charged with the design for the Congo section, which became known for its full employment of the Art Nouveau. In the same year, Hankar participated in the colonial exposition atTervuren , Belgium, for which he was responsible for the coordination of the works of several artisans and furniture designers.The greater part of Hankar's buildings are found in Brussels. Besides those mentioned above, they include:
*Maison Zegers-Regnard (1895)
*Maison and Pharmacy Peeters (1896)
*Hôtel Renkin (1897)
*Hôtel Kleyer (1898)
*Maison Bartholomé and its Studio (1898, destroyed)
*Niguet Haberdashery (1899)
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