The building, though, has had a turbulent history. The small neoclassical pavilion was originally planned for the 1897 Brussels International Exposition, of which it is one of the few physical remnants. Although completed in time for the fair, the collaboration between the architect and the artist soon led to an irreconcilable disagreement delaying its official opening until 1899. At first, Horta designed the pavilion’s facade to be open, serving as a shelter on rainy days — without the wall and bronze doors behind the colonnade — so that the relief would always be visible for passers-by. But Lambeaux, against the will of Horta, wanted a gallery wall behind the columns. The dispute remain unsolved for years: on the day of the inauguration on 1 October 1899, the unfinished temple stood open with the relief visible from the surrounding park. Under pressure of the public opinion and the authorities, Horta had to alter his plans and close the temple with a wooden barricade, and it was left unfinished only three days after inauguration.