Immeuble
Monument
Immeuble, located in Arras (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
- Arras, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.2914, 2.7796
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00107996
In the heart of Arras, this building, listed as a Historic Monument since 1920, epitomises the elegance of civil architecture in Arras, with its characteristic facades combining brick, white stone and the baroque layout inherited from the Spanish Netherlands.
History
Set in the heart of the urban fabric of Arras, the capital of the Pas-de-Calais region, this listed building is a rare and precious example of Arrasian civil architecture in all its uniqueness. Far from the great medieval fortresses or the châteaux of the Loire, the stone and brick of a town building here expresses an architectural identity deeply rooted in the history of the former Southern Netherlands. Arras is a town whose historic centre, centred on the famous Grand'Place and Place des Héros, is unanimously recognised as one of the most coherent and remarkable urban ensembles in northern France. It is in this exceptional context that this building is located, and its protection since 1920 - in the immediate aftermath of the First World War, in a context of reconstruction and memorial preservation - bears witness to the attention paid to this built heritage from a very early stage. To visit this building is to plunge into the intimacy of the bourgeois and merchant architecture that made Arras prosper between the 17th and 19th centuries. The façades reveal a subtle dialogue between Flemish and French traditions: stepped gables, semi-circular arches, ornate pilasters and carefully decorated dormers make up a formal vocabulary that is instantly recognisable to anyone who has wandered through the great cloth-making towns of the north. The urban setting enhances the experience: cobbled streets, neighbouring town houses and the proximity of two large listed squares make it an ideal starting point for a stroll through the centuries. Photographers and architecture enthusiasts will find that the façade details here are of a rare finesse, particularly luminous in the golden hours of the morning.
Architecture
The building is in the civil architectural tradition of northern France, strongly influenced by the former Spanish Netherlands. The façade, probably laid out over two or three storeys, combines local red brick with quoins and surrounds in white limestone quarried in the Artois region, creating the two-tone contrast so characteristic of regional architecture. The bays, punctuated by pilasters or engaged columns, are organised according to a rigorous symmetry inherited from classicism, while the steeply pitched, slate roof features elaborate dormer windows or a stepped gable bearing witness to the Flemish influence. The composition of the facade follows the rules of architectural orders as adapted by the master masons of Artesia: Tuscan or Doric pilasters on the ground floor, Ionic or composite pilasters on the upper levels, with a moulded cornice serving as the crowning touch. The window lintels are adorned with carved keys - cartouches, masks or floral motifs - while the main entrance features a neat frame with matching voussoirs. The materials used reflect the resources of the Artesian region: local brick, baked in the many brickworks of the Flemish plain, ensures solidity and warm colour, while limestone ashlar provides the finesse needed for the decorative elements. Designed to withstand the rigours of the northern climate, the building bears witness to the skills of the journeymen builders who made the reputation of the building trades in this border region.
Related Figures
Louis XIV — dont la conquête d'Arras en 1640 orienta durablement l'architecture civile de la ville vers un classicisme franco-flamandMaximilien de Robespierre — natif d'Arras (1758), figure dont la maison familiale voisine rappelle l'importance de l'architecture bourgeoise arrageoisePaul Deckers — architecte en chef chargé de la reconstruction d'Arras après 1918, pour qui les immeubles classés servirent de modèlesPierre Paquet — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques ayant supervisé les classements et restaurations arrageois dans l'entre-deux-guerresLes maîtres maçons artésiens du XVIIe-XVIIIe siècle — bâtisseurs anonymes des façades qui firent la réputation architecturale d'Arras
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Immeuble located?
Immeuble is located in Arras, 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.