The Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel - a real box of talents

Not far from the Castle of Argenteuil and around the corner from the proud Lion of Waterloo, we find the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, hidden away from the public eye behind a few groves of stately trees that are a perfect fit for the discrete charm and greenery of the location.

The building is the result of a long reflection on the musical education offered by Eugène Ysaÿe and Queen Elisabeth and was inaugurated in 1939. Since then, it has played host to numerous classical musicians and composers and its Art Deco and modernist walls are currently home to the entire young musical elite. This exclusive private school is used as a preparation ground for the winners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition and is the brainchild of architect Yvan Renchon. Together with its park, it has been listed as a Belgian heritage site since 1994.

A new wing was recently added to the Chapel, the glass structure of which forms a valuable backdrop for the artistic excellence of its young inhabitants. The building is almost 100 meters long and offers a perfect interaction between glass and blue stone, on the one hand, and the sobriety of the original construction on the other, while forming a harmonious complement to the surrounding natural area. The wing on one side of the building offers a view of the Sonian Forest and the Grand Studio, where public concerts are regularly held, and where the magical spectacles offered by the artists are just as common as a herd of passing deer. On the garden side, you can admire the large windows, with patterns that are in part loosely inspired on the founder of the location.

Plenty of other fascinating homes can be found in the surroundings of the Sonian Forest. Discover them in our listings.