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This gracious mansion is the work of architect Octave Van Rysselberghe and designer Henry van de Velde, who designed the interior. Paul Otlet, who commissioned the building, was a doctor of law, socialist activist, and pacifist. He devoted his fortune to a model of classification of his archives that we can consider today as a forerunner of the Internet.
The interior is organized around a large central space lit by a glass roof, in which the main stairwell gives access to the various rooms. The landings are separated by glass walls which provide additional lighting to this central space. The building has retained some of its decoration, such as the mosaic floor and several stained glass windows.
In graphic art, linear rhythm still served as a bearer of mood. In this respect, van de Velde found himself in concord with the stylistic devices of Symbolism, yet his pure Art Nouveau work retained - in purified form - a personal stamp. It becomes visible in the interior design of the H�tel Otlet.
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