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
- 50.2917, 2.7792
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108004
In the heart of Arras, this listed building epitomises Flemish elegance and the resilience of a city built on a foundation: a characteristic gabled facade, limestone arcades and a living memory of an urban way of life several centuries old.
History
Arras is a city that can be read through its stones, and this building, listed as a Historic Monument since 1921, is one of its most precious pages. Nestling in the dense fabric of a town that has managed to rebuild itself without losing its soul, it bears witness to an architectural tradition specific to the coalfields and Flemish plains, where the quality of the street façade is a genuine act of social and civic representation. What makes the building truly unique is its place in the great tradition of Arras' trading and residential houses, direct descendants of the flamboyant Gothic and Brabant influences that shaped the Grand'Place and Place des Héros. The stepped facades, elaborate dormer windows and low arcades on the ground floor are a reminder that this was one of the great cloth-making metropolises of medieval Europe, where domestic architecture rivalled the boldness of belfries and cathedrals. A visit to this building, or simply contemplating it from the street, offers a striking insight into several centuries of urban history. In its proportions, in the rhythm of its bays and in the sober ornamentation of its window surrounds, you can see the constant tension between bourgeois pomp and the rigours of the North, between necessary ostentation and the economy of means imposed by the climate and commercial pragmatism. The surrounding environment reinforces this impression of authenticity: after the massive destruction of the First World War, Arras was able to rebuild a large part of its historic centre identically, so much so that the listed building now sits side by side with its neighbours, whose new post-war stonework imitates the lines of the Ancien Régime to perfection. This feat of reconstruction has made Arras a unique urban experiment in Europe, and this building is one of the authentic witnesses to this among the survivors of the conflict.
Architecture
The building is in the architectural tradition of gabled facades typical of the civil architecture of northern France and the former Netherlands. Built of local white limestone known as "pierre d'Arras", topped with terracotta bricks in a mixed bond that is common in the Artois region, the facade features regular bays, moulded window surrounds and a gabled roof with recesses or a pediment, depending on the successive alterations. The ground floor, in keeping with local custom, probably opens onto semi-circular or basket-handle arches, relics of the days when shops and warehouses were part of the city's daily trade. The upper storeys have a sober but neat elevation, with mullioned or transomed windows in the oldest parts, and straight-headed windows in the classical remodelling. The steeply pitched roof, as befits a northern sky, is covered in natural slate and punctuated by pedimented or louvered dormers that light up the habitable attic space. The overall impression is one of quiet solidity and measured dignity, typical of northern bourgeois architecture, which prefers the discreet accumulation of refined details to ostentatious emphasis. Inside, the presumed layout is organised around a main staircase with wrought iron or turned wood banisters, leading to reception rooms on the façade and service areas at the back of the plot. The ceilings, with exposed joists in the oldest sections and stuccoed coffered ceilings in the 18th century alterations, are without doubt the most striking decorative features of the interior.
Related Figures
Maximilien de Robespierre — enfant d'Arras et figure tutélaire de la cité, dont l'ombre plane sur tout le patrimoine bourgeois localJoseph-Benoît Guimard — architecte arrageois actif au XVIIIe siècle, représentatif des bâtisseurs qui modelèrent le tissu urbain de la villeLes grandes familles drapières arrageoisese — commanditaires anonymes de l'architecture civile médiévale et moderne de la Grand'PlaceCharles Benvignat — architecte du XIXe siècle chargé de plusieurs restaurations patrimoniales à ArrasPaul Léon — directeur des Beaux-Arts à l'origine de nombreux classements MH post-1918 en Artois
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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.