33. Hôtel Wielemans

In 1925, Adrien Blomme built this mansion at the request of his friend, the brewer Léon Wielemans, a project which made him the permanent architect of this entrepreneurial family. His designs included the Metropole Cinema, the extension of the Hotel Metropole and the buildings of the Wielemans-Ceuppemans brewery which today houses the Wiels centre for contemporary art. The idea for the design and furnishings of the Wielemans Mansion came from a trip to Spain where Léon Wielemans and his wife visited the palaces of Andalusia in the presence of the architect. These Moorish palaces were the direct inspiration for both the layout around a large patio and the interior decoration, with a prominent role given to ceramic tiles and ironwork.