This building with its double façade (one Neoclassical, the other Modern) was, in the second half of the 19th century, inhabited by the photographer Louis Ghémar, one of the pioneers of photography in Belgium. The house was converted into a Masonic head office in 1877 in order to accommodate the important lodge of "Les Amis Philanthropes", among the members of which were notables such as Charles Buls, Mayor of Brussels; Théodore Verhaeghen, founder of the Free University of Brussels (ULB); Nobel laureate Henri La Fontaine; and architect Victor Horta. Designed by Adolphe Samyn assisted by architects E. Hendrickx and J. De Blois, the building houses two temples of Egyptian inspiration.
The guided tour of this edition of the ANTE Festival focuses on the Grand Temple, which is intriguing for its large, colourful murals, its stucco decorations and columns and, of course, its many Masonic symbols.
Arch. Adolphe SAMYN, 1877-1879
12/10/2025
| FR | 10:30; 11:30; 14:00; 15:00; 16:00; 17:00 |
| NL | 10:00; 12:00; 15:30 |
| EN | 11:00; 14:30; 16:30 |
Information
| Duration | 45 minutes |
| PRM | ✗ |
| WC | ✗ |
| Photos | ✗ |