Villa Les Zéphyrs Westende

About the museum

Villa Les Zéphyrs in Westende was built in 1922–1923 as the holiday villa of the Ghent doctor couple Henri Muyshondt and Emilie Conard. Architect Oscar Van de Voorde based the design on a model house he showed at the 1910 World Exhibition in Brussels. Construction went through the Fonds der Verwoeste Gewesten (Fund for the Destroyed Regions), under the supervision of their Ghent neighbour Emile Coppieters. From 1924 to 1940 the family spent their summer holidays here.

The dining room with smoking room has wall panelling, fixed furniture and a chimney piece from the studio of Henry van de Velde. That ensemble comes from the Ostend villa Mignonne and was bought at an auction in Ghent in 1922. The interior survived the Second World War occupation, when the villa was used by refugees and then by German troops, who built a bunker in the garden. The basement kitchen for staff and the bathroom with sunken bath are also well preserved.

In the late 1960s the villa threatened to fall into disrepair. In 1972 the municipality set up Westende's tourist office there. The interior pieces were protected in 2000. When the decision was made to turn the villa into a museum (2006), it turned out that Van de Velde was the designer. Since 2020 the villa, together with curators, has also organised exhibitions of contemporary art in its special interior.

Highlights

• Art Nouveau interior by Henry van de Velde in the dining room and smoking room
• Basement kitchen for staff and bathroom with sunken bath
• Authentically restored holiday villa from 1922
• Virtual tour of the original interior
• Contemporary art exhibitions in the historic interior

Permanent exhibition

• Villa Les Zéphyrs: vakantievilla uit de jaren 1920-1940 – The restored interior with work by Henry van de Velde, the basement kitchen and the bathroom with sunken bath show how a well-off family spent its holidays by the sea.

Operated by

Gemeente Middelkerke

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry to the villa is free. In the museum you can buy a visitor guide for €5 (60 pages, Dutch). With a UiTPAS you can collect one point.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

The villa is also the tourist information point of Westende.

Events & venue rental

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