The Casino: a rare tableau by Maison Helman

The Casino immediately stands out in this timber-framed city because it has a striking façade in Art Nouveau style. This dates back to 1910. The Casino was the local headquarters for numerous local associations. Pay special attention to the magnificent tiles on the upper floor, one of the exceptionally preserved ceramic panels in situ from the then very famous Brussels Maison Helman. Helman was born in Stavelot in 1863 and was an architect there. In the early 1890s, he moved to Brussels. He became a shareholder and director at the 'Manufacture de Céramiques Décoratives' in Hasselt, to start his own company Maison Helman 'Céramique d'Art' in 1902, which moved to Berchem near Antwerp just two years later in 1904. After World War I, Art Nouveau was no longer in fashion, and the company evolved towards the production of earlier styles such as Louis XV and after his death in 1929 towards more modernist façades. The house closed its doors in 1958.

Jan Rymenams