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
- 50.2913, 2.7807
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108025
In the heart of Arras, this building, listed as a Historic Monument since 1920, embodies Flemish elegance and the art of building typical of the arcaded facades of the Grand'Place, a living testimony to the urban genius of Arras.
History
Arras is one of France's most remarkable towns for the coherence and beauty of its historic urban fabric. Its two emblematic squares - the Grand'Place and the Place des Héros - form an architectural ensemble that is unique in Europe, lined with baroque gabled houses and arcaded facades whose continuity is unparalleled. In this exceptional setting, the building, classified as a Historic Monument by decree on 18 March 1920, is fully in keeping with the architectural tradition of northern France, the result of Flemish and Spanish influences that have shaped the visual identity of the city of Artois over the centuries. This building alone illustrates the sophistication of civil engineering in Arras: its harmonious proportions, the way it is structured between levels and the quality of its ornamentation bear witness to a remarkable concern for aesthetics and craftsmanship. Buildings of this type in Arras are part of a collective vision of urban space, where each façade contributes to the overall harmony of the street or square, while asserting its own personality through its sculpted details, dormers or cornices. To visit this building is to immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of a city that has managed, on several occasions in its history, to rebuild itself without betraying its identity. After the devastation of the First World War, Arras rebuilt its architectural jewels exactly as they were before, a titanic task that has earned it an international reputation as a city of memory and a city of golden stone. The facade of this building bears this story of resilience and cultural continuity. The surrounding environment enhances the experience: the cobbled squares, the ballet of the weekly markets, the reflections of the limestone in the low-angled northern light all add a rare quality to a stroll through Arras. Photographers, architecture enthusiasts and the simply curious will find this building and its neighbourhood an inexhaustible source of wonder, far removed from the crowds of some of the more high-profile sites.
Architecture
The building is part of the Flemish and Artesian architectural tradition that characterises Arras' civil buildings, based on the use of bluestone and local brick, sometimes combined in elegant two-tone compositions. Façades of this type generally feature a ground floor with semi-circular or basket-arched arcades, an absolute feature of Arras squares, which in the past enabled merchants to work sheltered from the weather while remaining visible from the street. The floors are arranged in a rigorous vertical and horizontal grid, punctuated by pilasters, horizontal bands and mullioned or transomed windows, depending on the period of construction. The decorative features typical of this type of building in Arras deserve particular attention: sculpted cornices with modillions, dormers with triangular or arched pediments enlivening the roofs, finely profiled ashlar window surrounds, sometimes decorated with floral motifs or medallions. The stepped or scrolled gable, a direct Flemish heritage, is the most spectacular and most photographed feature of these façades. The roof, traditionally covered in natural slate, contributes to the distinctive silhouette of the urban landscape of Arras. Inside, these buildings generally feature features typical of the civil architecture of northern France: stone staircases with balusters, barrel-vaulted cellars dug into the limestone subsoil - Arras' listed underground network known as the "boves" - and generously proportioned rooms reflecting the social status of their original patrons.
Related Figures
Marchands drapiers artésiens des XVIIe-XVIIIe siècles, commanditaires des grandes façades à arcades d'ArrasMaximilien de Robespierre, natif d'Arras (1758-1794), dont la ville et ses immeubles formaient le cadre quotidienJoseph Royer de la Tournelle, architecte actif à Arras au XVIIIe siècle, impliqué dans le dessin de plusieurs façades des placesPierre Falluel, architecte en chef des Monuments Historiques chargé de la reconstruction d'Arras après 1918Albert Troimaux, architecte de la reconstruction artésienne dans l'entre-deux-guerres, garant de la fidélité au bâti historiqueÉdouard Jacquemart, conservateur du patrimoine arrageois au début du XXe siècle, défenseur du classement des façades urbaines
Tags
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.