Gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean
MonumentHidden Treasure
Gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean, located in Bordeaux (Gironde), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Bordeaux, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8258, -0.5561
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00083187
Temple of the railways from the Second Empire, the gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean stretches its majestic eclectic façade across 300 metres, crowned by a canopy of cast iron and glass that bathes the platforms in a golden light.
History
Built at the gateway to the pink city on the Atlantic coast, Bordeaux-Saint-Jean station is much more than just a railway junction: it is a monumental gateway to the Gironde metropolis. Its composite architecture, a blend of neoclassical robustness and Second Empire ornamental exuberance, immediately commands respect from anyone entering on the Cours de la Marne. Listed as a historic monument since 1984, it bears witness to the architectural ambition that the 19th century readily lent to major railway infrastructures, considered to be the cathedrals of the industrial age. What sets Saint-Jean apart from the great Parisian stations is its organic relationship with the city of Bordeaux. Located on the left bank of the Garonne, it is part of a district that has grown with it, absorbing passenger flows from all over Aquitaine and Spain. The main facade, long and punctuated by prominent pavilions topped with slate roofs, blends in with the bourgeois architecture of the surrounding Haussmann buildings, creating an urban coherence that is rare for a building of this scale. The visit begins at the forecourt, where the eye is caught by the rigorous symmetry of the façade and the richness of its sculpted decoration. Cartouches, medallions and pilasters follow one another in an ornamental grammar characteristic of the major public facilities of the nascent Third Republic. Inside, the large metal canopy reveals all the virtuosity of the engineers of the time: a framework of cast iron and glass that filters the light of the Gironde sky into a soft, enveloping clarity, transforming the quays into an aerial gallery. For photographers and lovers of industrial architecture, the station offers striking views, particularly from the platforms, where the succession of metal arches creates an almost hypnotic perspective. The recent transformation of the Saint-Jean district, as part of the major urban projects of Bordeaux Metropole, has given this listed building a renewed centrality and visibility, making it the anchor of a sector in full renaissance.
Architecture
Bordeaux-Saint-Jean station is part of the monumental eclecticism of the late 19th century, characteristic of the major French railway infrastructures built under the impetus of private companies. Its main facade, facing the Cours de la Marne, has an academic, symmetrical composition: a slightly projecting central forebuilding, flanked by side pavilions topped by high imperial-style roofs in Anjou slate, punctuates a two-storey elevation, the upper register of which is enlivened by a series of round-headed windows with paired keystones. The sculpted ornamentation - broken pediments, coat-of-arms cartouches, fluted pilasters with composite capitals - bears witness to the care taken to symbolise industrial progress. The dominant materials are limestone ashlar from the Gironde region, which gives the building its characteristic blond hue, and brick for some of the secondary infill. The most spectacular feature is the large metal hall that covers the quays: a cast-iron and glass canopy of remarkable span, built using the techniques of the Compagnie du Midi engineers, masters in the art of lightweight metal frameworks. The canopy, with its parabolic arch structure directly inspired by the great Victorian greenhouses and world exhibition halls, bathes the platforms in diffuse natural light, softening the harshness of the metal and creating an almost foggy atmosphere at rush hour. The overall layout of the station is "dead-end", or terminus, with the tracks dead-ending on the city side, giving the interior space a majestic front and immediate legibility for passengers.
Related Figures
Gustave Eiffel — ingénieur dont les ateliers ont fourni des éléments de charpente métallique à plusieurs gares du réseau du Midi dans la même périodeCharles de Freycinet — ministre des Travaux publics, initiateur du plan d'équipement ferroviaire national de 1879 qui accéléra la reconstruction de nombreuses garesLouis-Adolphe Thiers — président de la République sous lequel le réseau ferré du Midi connut son expansion décisivePaulin Talabot — fondateur et directeur de la Compagnie du Midi, commanditaire de la modernisation des infrastructures ferroviaires aquitainesFrancisco Goya — dont la dépouille transita par la gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean lors du rapatriement de sa dépouille en Espagne, rappelant les liens historiques de Bordeaux avec la communauté espagnole en exilJacques Chaban-Delmas — maire de Bordeaux de 1947 à 1995, qui défendit ardemment la modernisation de la gare et son inscription au patrimoine
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean located?
Gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean is located in Bordeaux, Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean built?
Gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean open to visitors?
Gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean is currently closed to visitors.