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History :
In 1673 the Ursulines of Mons purchased the Hôtel d'Havré.
In 1808, Napoleon sold the buildings to the Town of Brussels.
Between 1895 and 1903, the architect Evrard rebuilt the property
in 5 stages. This work was funded by the philanthropist, Brugmann.
Its use as a medical establishment for the elderly persists to this
day. Work is being carried out in successive stages to improve amenities
and bring the property into conformity.
Architecture :
The building features an excessively tight toothcomb structure that
does not allow much light to penetrate into the premises, and a
series of internally stepped levels compensating for the gradient
of the streets outside .
The colossal chapel is constructed on 3 levels.
The current phase consists in re-aligning rooms towards the street
and the garden and in reorganising internal circulation, using the
principal of the twin corridor.
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