07. Masonic Lodge “Les Amis Philantropes”

Featuring two staggered façades (one neoclassical, the other modern), this building was home in the second half of the 19th century to the photographer Louis Ghémar, one of the pioneers of photography in Belgium. As early as 1877, the house was converted into a Masonic lodge to accommodate the prominent ‘Les Amis Philanthropes’ lodge, whose members included such notable figures as Charles Buls, Mayor of Brussels, Théodore Verhaeghen, founder of the ULB, Nobel laureate Henri La Fontaine, and the architect Victor Horta. Designed by Adolphe Samyn, assisted by the architects E. Hendrickx and J. De Blois, the building houses two temples inspired by Egyptian architecture.
The guided tour for this edition of the ANTE Festival focuses on the Great Temple, which intrigues visitors with its large, colourful murals, its stucco decorations and columns, and, of course, its numerous Masonic symbols.