As part of the exhibition ‘Art Nouveau versus Art Deco? 1850–1950: a century in 31 chairs’, Master’s students in Industrial Design were invited to design new chairs for the Horta Museum.

Intended for visitors and the reception team, six chairs have been placed within the historic spaces of Victor Horta’s house and studio. They harmonise with the existing architecture, furniture and heritage, whilst meeting contemporary needs.

The project thus extends the exhibition’s central question: what does a chair reveal about the way we live and position ourselves within a space? Balancing function, comfort, craftsmanship and their presence within the architecture, each design explores in its own way the relationship between a contemporary object and this museum, its architecture and its uses.

Straddling heritage and the present, these six seats take their place in the history of the site, introducing new ways of sitting, looking and experiencing the museum.