Atelier Decor
THE ABANDONED ATELIER IN BELGIUM
‘Atelier Decor’ is an old abandoned villa and workshop in the small village Hulshout, in the Antwerpen region of Belgium. The site was built in 1912 and eventually abandoned in 2001.
Atelier Decor was owned by the artist Victor Janssens. He made both sculptures and furniture for gardens and parks. The model of this house was designed and built for the Exposition Universelle et Internationale, the 1910 World Fair in Brussels. In 1912, Janssens rebuilt the same house in his hometown Hulshout, stone by stone, following the original design until the smallest detail.
The artist was well known between 1915 and 1935 for his Lourdes caves and ornaments. Also inside the villa one room is made of fake rocks to resemble the Caves of Han.
At the time of my visit the workplace was still full with sculptures, moulds and paint. The villa was the home of the owner, for this reason there is also a small showroom attached tot he house where the costumers could place an order. The villa was sold in 2012 and the meanwhile collapsed workshop was demolished in 2013. I took these photos during my visit at the abandoned house and workshop in 2008. Follow this link for more Belgian abandonments.
