Exhibition: Paradise Lost?

Step into a world where glass and iron gave shape to a dream: a personal Garden of Eden. Paradise Lost? takes you back to the 19th century, an era of discovery, exotic plants and visionary architecture.

Discover 200 years of vision on nature and architecture

Step back into the 19th century, an era of groundbreaking discoveries and visionary architecture. The exhibition ‘Paradise Lost?’ pays tribute to Alphonse Balat, the master of glass and iron. As an inspiration to Victor Horta, he created, through his conservatories, gateways to a new world of light and beauty. His conservatories and pavilions were also, each and every one, technical masterpieces. The Balat Greenhouse(crown greenhouse) in Meise Botanic Garden was Alphonse Balat’s first major project.

‘Paradise Lost?’ looks beyond the past. It poses a question that is more relevant today than ever: have we lost our connection with nature, or are we actually rediscovering it through our modern ways of building and admiring?

The exhibition spans 200 years of history — almost as long as Belgium has existed — and showcases the revolution Balat brought about in our view of nature.

Why visit this exhibition?

Historical icons: Discover the Balatkas, the architect’s first masterpiece, in the heart of Meise Botanic Garden.

Unique archive material: Admire digitised architectural plans from the Royal Archives and rare items from foreign archives.

Artistic dialogue: Be inspired by the collaboration with leading figures such as François Schuiten, the family of Piet Bekaert and curator Hans Soenen.

Experience the dream of glass and iron at Meise Botanic Garden.

The exhibition was preceded by almost two years of preparation. A multidisciplinary team worked closely together: Donatienne de Séjournet, author of numerous publications on architecture and garden art, Denis Diagre, chief curator and archivist, and Koen Es, director of public engagement, both working at Meise Botanical Garden. They developed the conceptual framework in close collaboration with artist François Schuiten, the family of the artist Piet Bekaert (who died in 2000), and artist-curator Hans Soenen, who is also the project manager.

‘Paradise Lost’, the three-part exhibition

Part 1: The Glass Revolution

Discover the origins of Belgian exoticism from 1825 onwards. In an era of technological revolution, the visionary designs of Alphonse Balat form the central theme. Through 32 monumental walls, you will journey through history: from the construction of the first greenhouses and the introduction of exotic plants to international icons such as the Crystal Palace and the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken.

 Part 2: Ode to the Winter Garden

The exhibition spans 200 years of history — almost as long as Belgium has existed — and showcases the revolution Balat brought about in our view of nature.In this section, various artists pay tribute to Balat’s architecture through impressive three-metre-high prints. The central question is: Has paradise been lost? Whilst many historic greenhouses have disappeared over time, due to war, high costs or decay, here we explore the renewed social role of the greenhouse as a bridge between living, architecture and nature within a new economic and cultural context.

Part 3: Building the Future

Here, the focus is on the present and the future. Architecture Studio Bas Smet presents its vision of the contemporary relationship between people, nature and architecture. Alongside international projects, you will also gain an exclusive insight into the concept for the Belgian pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2025, which centres on the dialogue between landscape, technology and architecture, under the title ‘Building biospheres’.

Practical information

• The exhibition will take place at three locations in Meise Botanic Garden:
  Franklinia Pavilion (Green Ark), the Citrus Orangery (Green Ark)  and the Balatkas (crown conservatory)
• from 5 September 2026 until 25 October 2026