Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer was a Belgian architect. He was born in Kampen in Holland as a descendant of a Dutch family of architects and engineers. During the United Kingdom of the Netherlands his family settled in the southern Belgian provinces. Cluysenaar studied architecture at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels under Tilman-François Suys. His teacher influenced him in his preference for the architecture of the Italian Renaissance.
Cluysenaer had a talent for business. He took the initiative for some very profitable real estate projects - such as the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in Brussels - in which he played the double role of architect and co-financier. He also had a good reputation amongst the Belgian nobility and high bourgeoisie. He received many commissions for designing large town houses (so called "Hôtels"), Mansions and château's. He was always prepared to adapt his designs to the desires and taste of his elite patrons. The many private mansions he build greatly differ in style. Cluysenaer designed elegant Palladian villa's as well as more sturdy Gothic Revival castles.
His stylistic versatility is also apparent in the many public buildings he designed such as the Neo-Renaissance, Koninklijk Conservatorium/Conservatoire Royal in Brussels and the "Tudor style" railway station in Aalst.
Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer was the father of the painter Alfred Cluysenaer. He was also the grandfather of architect Paul Saintenoy who was a son of Cluysenaer's daughter Adèle and the architect Gustave Saintenoy.
Read more about Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer: List of Works