In 1895, the young Victor Horta designed the town house of Edmond Van Eetvelde, Secretary General of the Congo Independent State. Extended several times, the Van Eetvelde mansion is one of the finest surviving examples of the architect’s work, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This house, in which every element was designed by the absolute master of Art Nouveau to fit his client like a glove, will fortunately enjoy a second life thanks to its purchase and renovation by the Fédération de l’Industrie du Gaz, which saved the building from certain destruction.