Immeuble
Monument
Immeuble, located in Aire-sur-la-Lys (Pas-de-Calais), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Aire-sur-la-Lys, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.6378, 2.3959
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00107946
In the heart of Aire-sur-la-Lys, this building dating from the first quarter of the 18th century embodies the sober elegance of Flemish civil architecture, with its brick and stone facade punctuated by pilasters characteristic of Artesian classicism.
History
Set in the historic urban fabric of Aire-sur-la-Lys, one of the best-preserved towns in the Pas-de-Calais region, this early 18th-century building is a rare example of bourgeois residential architecture in Regency Artois. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1948, its protection recognises its intrinsic heritage value and its role in the architectural coherence of the town centre. What makes this building remarkable is precisely its status as a typical - yet singular - representative of a well-to-do urban dwelling in a town that has managed to survive the centuries without losing its character. In Aire-sur-la-Lys, 18th-century buildings sit side by side with the Flemish town houses and Baroque administrative buildings for which the town is famous. This building fits into this architectural conversation with elegant discretion. The experience of visiting it, even from the outside, is to observe the details that betray the mastery of local craftsmen: the brick and stone bichromy so characteristic of northern France, the rigorous composition of the window spans, and the modenatures that articulate the façade with a keen sense of proportion. Walkers and architecture enthusiasts alike will find plenty of food for thought about regional know-how. Aire-sur-la-Lys itself is an ideal setting in which to discover this building: its cobbled streets, lively Grand-Place and ramparts bear witness to an exceptional strategic and commercial past. The monument takes on its full meaning when placed in this dense urban context, where each façade tells a story from the history of Aire-sur-la-Lys.
Architecture
The building is based on the classical architectural vocabulary used in the towns of northern France at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. The local tradition combines red brick, the material of choice in the Flemish and Artesian plains, with limestone ashlar for the window surrounds, quoins and modillions. This characteristic two-colour scheme makes the façade immediately legible, while at the same time highlighting the client's ornamental ambitions. The composition of the façade follows a rigorous pattern: regular bays of windows with small jambs organise the elevation in a binary or ternary rhythm typical of Regency civil architecture. The bays, probably with keyed lintels or segmental arches, are surmounted by projecting sills and framed by moulded jambs. The roof, probably hipped or pavilion-shaped according to regional custom, completes this harmonious silhouette without excessive embellishment. Inside, the spatial organisation reflects the social hierarchy typical of middle-class housing of the period: a ground floor dedicated to commercial activities or receptions, and residential upper floors distributed by an oak staircase whose forged or carved banister is often the centrepiece of Artesian interiors from this period. Moulded ceilings, chimneys with straight hoods and herringbone parquet floors are the interior features generally found in this type of building.
Related Figures
Louis XIV — sous le règne duquel s'amorce la période de construction de l'immeuble, après le rattachement définitif de l'Artois à la FrancePhilippe d'Orléans (Régent de France) — la Régence (1715-1723) coïncide avec la probable édification de l'immeuble et son contexte architecturalVauban — dont les travaux de fortification d'Aire-sur-la-Lys au XVIIe siècle ont contribué à la stabilisation urbaine permettant ce type de construction civileUn commanditaire bourgeois local (inconnu) — négociant, magistrat ou rentier artésien à l'origine de la commande architecturaleLes architectes et maçons de la corporation locale — artisans formés à la tradition flamando-artésienne de la brique et de la pierre
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Immeuble located?
Immeuble is located in Aire-sur-la-Lys, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Immeuble built?
Immeuble dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Immeuble open to visitors?
Immeuble is currently closed to visitors.