20. Villa les Hêtres

Villa les Hêtres [of the Beech Trees] is one of the most iconic villas in the north of Brussels to open its doors to the BANAD audience. It was built in 1927 by Emile De Boelpaepe on behalf of Paul Koninckx, one of the co-owners of the Gérard Koninckx Frères company which imported exotic fruit from Belgian Congo. Already in 1928, Koninckx added an extension that slightly breaks the symmetry of the façade. The interior decoration in Art Deco style is a good example of bourgeois taste in the 1920s, but also holds some surprises including geometric stucco work, stained glass windows with colonial maritime motifs, and stylised radiator covers. The tour further takes visitors through the surrounding park of over 1 hectare with numerous remarkable trees and intriguing landscape elements that invite further historical research. The villa and surrounding garden have enjoyed protected status since 2022.