A unique career that pushed this very wealthy industrialist very early on to build a prestigious residence on the Koekelberg plateauon land already occupied by a beautiful residence, but a little less imposing.
Bossaert calls on the architect Albert Callewaert. The former footballer turns to the man who designed the Duden Park stadium, that of Daring’s eternal rival, Union Saint-Gilloise. An enclosure with an Art Deco facade, the architectural style in vogue at the time. To the admiration of the Bossaert house, one can easily distinguish the inspiration in the use of white stone and decorative elements. The house is located at the corner of two avenues but no traditional street sign is placed on the two facades concerned: the names of two axes are directly engraved in stone.
Witness to the bourgeois way of life in the interwar period
The interior decoration will be entrusted to Charles Stepman. When classifying the property in 2022, the Brussels Region praised the splendor of the rooms spread over more than 1,100 square meters of living space (five levels and 10 bedrooms).
“The interior of the house is characterized by the use of noble and high quality materials, in the purest spirit of Art Deco style : harmonious and elegant blend of various types of wood, various marbles and ironwork“, notes Urban.brussels, regional service for Town Planning and Heritage.
“Quite rare, the villa retains its original kitchen furniture, as well as that of the bathrooms, elements that contribute to the exceptional value of this villa, witness to the bourgeois way of life during the interwar period. There is also a certain originality in the layout of the openings on the facades. Indeed, they are not always aligned in span and have various widths. The layout responds directly to the interior layout of the villa. The plan being triangular, the rooms are arranged in such a way as to receive the light necessary for their use. Thus, the two blind bays on the ground floor on the Avenue de la Liberté side correspond to the two staircases (main and service). The main staircase is lit by a wide and high bay upstairs, which allows natural light to reach the entrance hall. Towards the avenue du Panthéon, a larger window occupying two bays illuminates the living room.“
The house also has a garden, arranged in a triangle, classified as the rest of the house.
On the death of Oscar Bossaert in 1956, the property will welcome other occupants and will even be converted into offices in 1987. The last known sale dates from 2014. The place regularly hosts film and series shoots, including currently the equipped with the Flemish series “Alter Ego”.
It’s a gem of a town
Is the municipality of Koekelberg possibly willing to break the bank to acquire the property? “We would like“, reacts Ahmed Laaouej (PS), mayor. “It is a heritage real estate jewel of the town, steeped in history. Unfortunately, we do not have the means to acquire it, because we are engaged in other development projects by regularly acquiring real estate. However, we would be very happy if other public authorities, such as the Brussels Region, which have means other than ours, could acquire this property. I believe that it would have its place in the public heritage in general. And it would be an opportunity to develop there why not cultural activities or any other kind. In any case, to make the property accessible to as many people as possible.“