Five Hundred Buildings of Paris by Kathy Borrus

Author:Kathy Borrus
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Published: 2003-12-21T16:00:00+00:00

348

Hôtel Gouthière

This severe, neoclassic, eighteenth-century mansion belonged to a goldsmith named Gouthière. Unfortunately, Madame du Barry, last mistress to Louis XV, owed him a sizeable debt that she reneged on, leaving him unable to pay for this hôtel he had commissioned. After the Revolution, du Barry’s estate became the property of the State, and Gouthière sued; but subsequent attempts to recover the debt through the courts were unsuccessful.

349

Porte Saint-Denis

Looming at the crossroads of the Grands Boulevards, this monumental arch celebrated Louis XIV’s triumph in the Rhine campaigns. François Girardon sculpted two allegories above the central arch: The Capture of Maastricht on the north side, and The Crossing of the Rhine on the south side.

350

19, boulevard de Strasbourg

A branch of the BNP Paribas Bank occupies these late Art Nouveau premises. Covered by a colorful pattern in enamel, this concrete structure has Doric pilasters at its entrance. A grooved construction wraps around the lower level, grounding the bank with elegance and stature. Above, several extended bay windows and carved balconies heighten the building, giving it lift and character.

351

Mairie

Demonstrating pretentious attention to ornament, architect Eugène Rouyer designed this late–nineteenth-century town hall with carving on the façade from the ground level to the roof. Having lost in the competition to renovate the Hôtel de Ville, Rouyer recreated a reasonable facsimile for this, one of the more remarkable town halls in Paris. This one is a perfect illustration of neo-Gothic architecture, with a high roof and peaked chimney that stretches toward the sky.

352

Smallest House in Paris

A family argument led to the construction of this tiny, two-story house, wedged into a space that previously provided a walkway between rues du Château d’Eau and du Faubourg-Saint-Denis. Heirs to this alley could not settle their dispute and so the owner blocked access to the property by building there. Looking more like a makeshift playhouse than a real home, it nonetheless contains a ground-floor workshop and a room on the second level. Two tall buildings on either side dwarf the little structure that measures just under 4 feet wide x 16.5 feet high.

353

Conseil de Prud’hommes de Paris

In a deliberate effort to create a building with a duality of purpose, architect Baju developed a breakaway design for the tribunal that resolves professional disputes. His use of gray-blue marble and a base of green granite gives the building grounding and represents the institution’s durability. In contrast with these solid materials, a huge glass façade slants to the sky, emphasizing the building’s monumental status while suggesting openness to the public. Behind the reflective glass shield, each department of this judiciary bureau works independently, and has its own balcony with visibility to the street. Playing with the spatial relationships of angles and planes, Baju designed a building that suggests justice will be meted out with expansive vision.

354

Foyer de Personnes Agées et Ecole Maternelle

Composed of glass, concrete, pink brick, and gray-blue zinc, this building contains both an old-age home and an elementary school. Architect Duplay attempted to create a monumental building in proportion to the surrounding canal by putting a contemporary twist on traditional Haussmann architecture.

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