19 new urban tours by Brussels action group ARAU include 12 Art Deco trails

Brussels’ urban action group ARAU has launched a new programme of Art Deco themed guided tours to mark the centenary of the celebrated design movement in the capital.

Some 19 tours will run from 5 April until mid-December with 12 itineraries dedicated to the architectural style. They are part of Art Deco Brussels 2025, a year-long programme celebrating the 100th anniversary of the landmark ‘1925 International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris’.  

"The idea was to showcase popular Art Deco sites alongside famous buildings like the Villa Empain," said Fanny Paquet, who heads the group’s guided tours.

While the elegant villa, now a museum run by the Boghossian Foundation, is an emblematic example of the style movement in Brussels, many other buildings are less known for their Art Deco traits.

One of these is the Joseph Marien football stadium of city club Royale Union Saint-Gillois (pictured, main image). The Art Deco gem is one of the highlights of the Forest, Union Makes Art Deco tour.

Other itineraries explore Ixelles' Little New York (pictured above) with its prestigious buildings such as the Palais de la Folle Chanson and Brussels' first skyscraper La Cambre residence.

The programme launches this Saturday 5 April with the tours Stalingrad – Lemonnier: Total Liquidation? and the Coin du Balai in Watermael-Boisfort (sold out).

Sunday 6 April is dedicated to Art Nouveau and Art Deco, with Altitude Cent: at the height of Art Nouveau and Art Deco (sold out) and a second tour in the city centre, Art Nouveau and Art Deco in the Marolles (pictured below).

Arau’s programme is enhanced by three tours dedicated to urban struggles, establishing links between historical movements and contemporary issues. Four other new tours venture into previously underrepresented areas, such as Evere and Auderghem, as well as the rapidly transforming European quarter.

“These walks invite Brussels residents to rediscover their city through the prism of this century-old artistic movement with its characteristic geometric lines, from emblematic buildings to more discreet examples scattered throughout the capital's neighbourhoods,” said the action group.

More information about the tours here. While the majority of visits are in French, some are in English.

Photos: ©ARAU