The book sets out to reposition the history of the Villa Empain in its historical context. It also examines the career of the architect Michel Polak as well as the Belgian architects of the interwar period. Part of the book is devoted to the restoration of the place with focus on the ironwork of Edgar Brandt and Alfred François as well as the glass roof of Max Ingrand or the garden. Particularly well documented, the book presents many archive images but also visuals documenting the restoration work of the Villa. Owned by the Boghossian Foundation, this has now made the Villa Empain a place dedicated to artistic and cultural dialogue between East and West.