BANAD: A new festival celebrating Brussels' architectural heritage

The Brussels Art Nouveau and Art Deco Biennial had become a victim of its own success - many more people wanted to participate than could be accommodated.

The authorities and organisations in Brussels devoted to this architecture opted for restricted access - visiting groups were limited to no more than 30 people, wearing protective boots - unlike Art Nouveau centres such as Barcelona which attract masses of tourists, an approach which has led to a degradation of the heritage.

The solution was to turn the biennial event into an annual festival, move it from October to March and increase the number of buildings open to the public. The result is BANAD, from 11-26 March, with events scheduled during the week, not only on the weekends as before.

As it is now a festival there are also a large number of ancillary activities. Beyond the guided tours there are concerts, conferences, exhibitions and a children's day.

The concerts are intimately related to the venues they take place in. For instance, there is a visit to a 1904 house by architect Ernest Blérot. The owner of the house is English contemporary composer Alan Charlton and he is not only opening his house to the public, but for the occasion is also scheduling a guitar and cello concert of early 20th century music and of a piece of his composition.

The Chapelle Musicale Reine Elizabeth was built in the middle of the Argenteuil forest in 1939, an Art Deco/Modernist landmark that has welcomed many musical artists over the years for residencies in its quiet secluded location. Last year, for its 75th year, the musical chapel was doted with a new wing and visitors will be able to appreciate the result as well as a concert.

And at the Van Buuren Museum, there will be a very unusual concert/lecture. In the splendid setting of the museum, visitors will be treated to a concert of everyone from Chopin to Debussy, interspersed with anecdotes about the development of fashion in the 20th century, stories about the surprising lives of some famous fashion creators and answers to such questions as who created the fashion show and how the handbag became an indicator of social status.

Exhibitions include an explanation of the differences between Art Nouveau and Art Deco at the CIVA Foundation, and at ADAM there is a show called Bauhaus #itsalldesign by Vitra Design Museum which is a complete survey of the evolution of Bauhaus design.

There's also an award-winning exhibition of the work of architect Gustave Strauven at Schaerbeek borough hall and a gourmand bike ride visiting Art Nouveau and Art Deco food related buildings with a food stop at a restaurant on the architecturally amazing Rue Vanderschrick. At Flagey there will be a screening of the John Parker 1955 cult bizarre noir movie Dementia/Daughter of Horror with live ominous music by Nordmann.

But the core of the festival is the buildings open to the public. As tour guide Tom Verhofstadt says: "We have more than 80 houses that will open their doors and each one has its own qualities. In every house you will find something you like.

"There are, of course, the classic big dwellings of Victor Horta, all Unesco world heritage sites, but there are also unknown gems such as the E. Vanlerberghe house that contains the finest Art Nouveau chimney that I have seen in 20 years of Art Nouveau and Art Deco experience. It is up to the participant to go discover these rareties and other new things we are offering over the three weeks."

BANAD, 11-26 March, throughout Brussels