Belgium Renaissance Revival
Alphonse Balat, full name Alphonse Hubert François Balat, was a Belgian architect.
He studied at the Academy of Namur and earned an architect's degree from the Academy of Antwerp in 1838. Balat's neo-Renaissance work soon came to the attention of the high nobility of Brussels, and he began to receive prestigious commissions.
In 1856, he built the city palace (Hotel) of the Marquis of Asch. After Leopold II ascended to the throne in 1865, Balat became his chief architect. He designed a number of projects for the luxurious reception areas of the Royal Palace of Belgium, such as the Throne Room, the Grand Staircase and the Grand Gallery. Alphonse Balat's most successful architectural project is considered to be the Lacuna Royal Greenhouses, where he pioneered the use of floral motifs, which later became the basis of the Art Nouveau style.
Alphonse Balat also built a large number of private residences during his career.