“Who was Gustave Latinis?” someone asks. Avenue Gustave Latinis, in Schaerbeek, Brussels, bears his name. This avenue stretches from the intersection of Boulevard Lambermont and Rue Guillaume Kennis. It loops back to Boulevard Lambermont near Avenue Chazal.
Avenue Gustave Latinis is part of the charming Quartier des Fleurs. This area was envisioned as a garden city. Houses here were designed with front gardens. The street plan was approved in the early 1900s. Octave Houssa, a communal engineer, drafted the plan.
The avenue’s construction faced delays. World War I halted building. Development picked up in the 1920s and 1930s. Further construction occurred in the 1950s and 1960s. The architecture reflects these periods.
Gustave Joseph Ghislain Latinis was a notable figure. Born in Braine-le-Château in 1847, he died in Schaerbeek in 1925. He served as a communal councillor and alderman in Schaerbeek. The avenue was named in his honor in 1911.
Before World War I, some eclectic-style houses appeared. Later construction included bourgeois houses and apartment buildings. Some buildings feature commercial ground floors. Architectural styles include eclectic, Beaux-Arts, and Art Deco. Modernism followed after World War II.
Look at numbers 1-3. These Art Deco houses were designed by Georges Huygens in 1933. Numbers 5-7, also Art Deco, are by Clément Degraeve from 1933. Number 79 showcases the work of J. Van Den Eng from 1935. E. Schmidt designed number 103 in 1937. Ernest Clasens created the ensemble at numbers 145-149 between 1931 and 1932. Maurice Delcuve designed numbers 11-15 in the Beaux-Arts style in 1924.
At the corner of Avenue Gilisquet, number 144 is a modernist apartment building. Michel Henrard designed it in 1956. One of the Hendrik Conscience school buildings stands at number 100. A. Jonniaux was the architect in 1971.
The Sainte-Suzanne church graces the corner of Avenue des Glycines. Jean Combaz designed this Art Deco masterpiece from 1925 to 1928. The church is located at number 50.
Originally, regulations required garden space in front of houses. This created a uniform look. However, some sections deviated from this plan. Houses built between 1911 and 1914 stood at the street front. Examples include numbers 27, 29, and 31. Jules Gunst designed number 31 in 1913. These exceptions add character to Avenue Gustave Latinis.
Today, Avenue Gustave Latinis blends architectural styles and historical layers. It reflects Schaerbeek’s evolution. This avenue stands as a tribute to a respected local leader. It also exemplifies the development of a Brussels garden city.