Once upon a time, Brussels sought a space to celebrate its architectural soul. That space is now the Fondation CIVA. It stands as a testament to Belgian design and urban thought.
The Fondation CIVA, established in 2016, unites several Brussels cultural associations. These groups focus on architecture, urban planning, landscape, and urban ecosystems. CIVA contributes to the development of architectural and urban culture. This culture grapples with contemporary issues.
Housed in Ixelles, the Fondation CIVA offers access to a vast collection. The collection includes books and international journals dating from the 19th century to today. These resources cover architecture, urban planning, city history, landscape design, gardens, and urban ecosystems.
But there is more. CIVA also boasts a collection of furniture by architects. Names like Horta, Hankar, and Le Corbusier are among them. A photo library and extensive documentation are available too. Over three hundred collections from architects, urban planners, and landscape designers enrich the archives. Donations and deposits regularly expand these collections.
The Fondation CIVA is the most important archive center of architecture and landscape architecture in Belgium. Around 500 funds showcase this status. Its Modern Architecture Department holds collections related to architectural practice. Victor Bourgeois, Huib Hoste, and Renaat Braem are featured. So are Jean-Jules Eggerickx, Louis-Herman De Koninck, and Gaston Brunfaut. Don’t forget Victor Horta and Henry Van de Velde.
The Garden, Landscape & Urban Ecosystem Department preserves landscape architecture archives. Funds from René Pechère and Jules Buyssens are preserved here. Archives from national and international institutions are featured too. IFLA and ICOMOS-IFLA are among them. Paul Duvigneaud’s archives are dedicated to ecology and urban ecosystems.
The CIVA library holds nearly 50000 books both old and new. Hundreds of magazine titles and documentation files are available here. They focus on architecture, urban planning, city history, and landscape architecture. The Modern Architecture Department includes libraries from Archives d’Architecture Moderne and Sint-Lukasarchief. The Garden, Landscape and Urban Ecosystem department holds the René Pechère library and the Centre Paul Duvigneaud documentation.
Exhibitions at Fondation CIVA offer new perspectives. Designed Landscapes ran until March 31, 2019. It highlighted the history of Brussels’ parks and public gardens. Original documents and photographs brought the past to life.
As Seen – Photographies d’architecture ran until June 30, 2019, at Kanal-Centre Pompidou. It showcased Citroën garage buildings from 1927 to 1941. Belgian photographer Philippe De Gobert selected these from CIVA’s archives.
CIVA’s Cité des Enfants is a permanent interactive exhibition. It is designed for children and adults. Through lessons, games, and drawings, it traces Brussels’ architectural and urban planning history. It shows the evolution from the 19th century to today.
Ursula Wieser Benedetti, director of CIVA’s garden, landscape, and urban ecosystem department, said something interesting. She thinks that Brussels is one of the greenest cities. But the city’s heritage is not well known. CIVA’s mission is to share this history with the public. The Fondation CIVA is more than just a museum. It is a celebration of Brussels’ urban identity. It is an archive, a library, and a meeting place.