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Lecture given on May 11, 2023 at the Salle des Abeilles of the Palais de l'Athénée, Société des Arts, Geneva By Leïla el-Wakil Professor of the history of architecture Architect EAUG, Dr. ès Lettres The Hôtel Tassel (1892-1893) by Victor Horta (1961-1947) is considered the first world landmark of Art Nouveau architecture. Designed as a total work of art for Emile Tassel, professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, it is now a world heritage site along with three other buildings by the same architect, the Hôtel Van Eetveld, the Hôtel Solvay and the Maison Horta. However, Horta is like a tree that hides the forest of the many other brilliant students and colleagues who worked in the same vein. The architects Octave van Rysselberghe (1855-1929), Paul Hankar (1859-1901), Paul Saintenoy (1862-1952), Paul Cauchie (1875-1952), Gustave Strauven (1878-1919) are some of the players in the metamorphosis of the city which is experiencing an unprecedented cultural and artistic expansion.