As the Art Deco Brussels 2025 website states, ‘With its geometric lines and sense of ornamentation, Art Deco is THE artistic movement of the 1920s and 1930s.’ Built in 1934-1935 by the Swiss architect Michel Polak, the Eastman Building was designed at the time as a project at the cutting edge of hospital architecture, then rethought and modified 80 years later according to the standards of contemporary museum architecture.
The mid-1930s saw the introduction of modernism into hospital architecture. Michel Polak designed a sober façade with a flat roof, and a central main building flanked by two projecting side wings. The Swiss architect called on renowned local companies for the execution of the work and the interior decoration, and the people who come to the House of European history today can still admire the high-quality craftsmanship - from the wrought iron panel made by ironworker Albert François, to the frescoes based on La Fontaine's Fables by the painter Camille Barthélémy, not to mention the precious marble and iron frame of the old windows of the dental clinic.
For 2025, which is dedicated to Art Deco, Urban.brussels and visit.brussels, along with all their partners, have prepared an engaging programme consisting of exhibitions, visits and conferences in the capital's most beautiful Art Deco buildings.
To contribute to this programme and in honour of the history of the building that envelops it, the House of European History is participating in the Heritage Days/Journées du Patrimoine on 20 and 21 September 2025, offering free guided tours of the history of the building in English, French and Dutch, given by members of the museum team.
