Construction of the house of banker David van Buuren and his wife Alice began in 1928 under the direction of Brussels architects Léon Govaerts and Alexis van Vaerenbergh. They designed a home that masterfully embodies Art Deco, both inside and out. Patrons and collectors, the Van Buurens decorated the house with great taste, enriching the salons with master paintings, sculptures and rare objects. Woodwork, furniture, carpets and artworks form a harmonious setting in vibrant colours. For the surrounding grounds, the couple called on landscape architect Jules Buyssens. He made the most of the steep, narrow plot to create a “picturesque garden” with a green room, herbaceous borders, ponds, a flower wall, rockeries and heather and conifer beds around a central lawn. In 1968, René Pechère was entrusted with recreating the yew maze on the theme of the Song of Songs. He also replaced the tennis court with a rose garden and created the heart garden, one of the site’s attractions. This emblematic landscape ensemble shows how human intervention can create a work of art in its own right: living heritage open to all. (Listed since 17/04/1997)