hobé expo 7

*PROPERTIES*
*Two asymmetrical volumes*, connected by a covered walkway.
*The effect of unity* is created by the row of columns that runs throughout the ground floor and a number of symmetrical elements such as the profiles of the roof, the stair towers, and the semi-circular corner pavilions.
*Great variety in materials* and the colors that reflect the festive character of the building, a feature that is rarely found elsewhere in Hobé's work.
The care that was given to the *falling light* through various openings - an indication of the difference in usage between the two buildings.
The whole was clearly intended *to be viewed from all sides*, hence the great attention to various details.
*Integration* in terms of proportions relative to the landscape...
p((. *Watercolor by Georges Hobé*
p((. The colors and materials play a significant role in expressing the role and use of the building.
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*ECLECTICISM IN ARCHITECTURE*
*Eclecticism (±1860-1920)* is an architectural style based on the combination of various elements from the history of architecture, at the expense of stylistic unity.
It usually involves a mixture of forms from different periods and regions.
In eclecticism, the 'picturesque style' designates buildings with a rural appearance.
By reinterpreting classical models in an original way, *Hobé* revitalizes architecture. Only a few elements, such as the 'Serlian window designs', come unchanged from the history of architecture.
p((. *Photo: detail of the A-wing*
p((. The Serlian window design was invented by the Italian Renaissance architect and sculptor, Sebastiano Serlio. Hobé has literally taken over his plans from that time.
p((. *Photo: detail of the chimney of the A-Wing*
p((. One can recognize Hobé's chronogram in the wall anchor: the letter H circled by an O and framed by two B's.
So it is not actually a pure eclectic style, but rather a picturesque tendency through the choice of decorations such as half-timbering, plaster, gabled roofs in wood, etc... rather as a marker of Hobé's *craftsmanship*.
The *picturesque* is further accentuated by the contrast of the *Kursaal* with the nearby city.
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*THE FUTURE OF THE KURSAAL*
The *Kursaal* has undergone various small adjustments over the years, but was fundamentally changed after the *fire* that completely destroyed the B-Wing in *1980*.
p((. *Photo: the B-Wing of the Kursaal*
p((. This image of the burned-out Casino also shows some more recent adjustments to the connection between the A and B Wings.
The architect *Georges Housiaux*, who preserved the silhouette of the old B-Wing, has also created a new intermediary building.
In *2009*, a new modern project for the *Casino* was entrusted to the architectural firm *Henri Garcia*.
This project will simultaneously renovate the old *Hobé* wing, adapt the *Housiaux* wing to the new needs of the Casino, and add a modern and luxurious building...
p((. *Photo: Project for the future 'Casino Hotel'*
p((. The architectural firm Henri Garcia designed the modern annexes that will give the Casino a contemporary look.
Like Hobé, integrating into the environment is an absolute priority, among other things through the line play of the descending *route Merveilleuse* behind the Casino and that of the fortress of the *Citadelle*.
It is also clear that the architect seeks a break between the present and the past.

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