Michel Polak

As part of the exhibition Michel Polak, technology and craftsmanship, an architecture of wonder, the CIVA is organising three visits of famous buildings in Brussels that were designed by the architect. It is a rare opportunity to discover these buildings in the company of expert guides: the building of the Régie des Telegraphs et Telephones (RTT), the Hotel Plaza and the Résidence Palace.

The building that once housed the main administration of the Telegraph and Telephone Company now houses the offices of the French Community Commission (COCOF). It was designed by Michel Polak and his sons in 1936. We are shown around this modernist building by Cécile Dubois, a guide specialised in Art Nouveau and Art Deco.

The prestigious Hotel Plaza was originally intended to accommodate visitors of the 1930 World Fair in Brussels. It immediately became the epitome of sophistication  in the Belgian capital. Cécile Dubois also gives us a tour of this building.

Originally designed to be luxurious apartments, the Résidence Palace now houses the seat of the Council of Europe. During this tour, Cécile Dubois and architect Thierry Henrard will discuss the standing of its first residents and the challenge of its transformation.