Maison Bleue
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison Bleue, located in Angers (Maine-et-Loire), is a modern edifice built in the 19th-20th centuries. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Modern (19th-20th century)
- Location
- Angers, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.4698, -0.5493
- Mérimée Reference
- PA49000016
An Art Deco gem in Angers, the Maison Bleue (1927) dazzles with its façades entirely clad in mosaics by the Odorico brothers — a masterpiece unique in Europe and listed as a Historic Monument.
History
In the heart of Angers, on the corner of a street and a boulevard, the Maison Bleue stands out like an apparition: an eight-storey building whose façades almost disappear under a cloak of polychrome mosaics in shades of blue, turquoise and gold. In a town best known for its medieval castle and Gothic tapestries, this twentieth-century building is still strikingly modern almost a century after its construction. What makes the Maison Bleue truly unique on a European scale is the total ambition of its decorative programme. The Odorico brothers, Italian mosaicists based in Rennes and key figures in French Art Deco, covered the façades with meticulous decoration combining geometric motifs, floral friezes and symbolic compositions. Every square centimetre bears witness to a dialogue between architecture and applied art rarely seen in residential property at the time. The experience of visiting the building begins right outside, from the pavement, where the eye is immediately caught by the singular luminosity of the tesserae, which capture and refract light depending on the time of day. In the morning, the facades seem to vibrate with a deep blue energy; in the late afternoon, the golden highlights are ablaze. Art deco enthusiasts and photographers will find this an inexhaustible source of wonder, while the busiest passers-by can't help but pause for a moment. The building is still used for residential purposes, which gives it a special vibrancy: the Maison Bleue is not a static monument, but an inhabited building, rooted in the everyday life of Angers. This almost paradoxical dimension - a museal masterpiece that residents walk through every day - adds to its charm and mystery. The basement and communal areas also retain original decorative features that extend the Art Deco experience beyond the facades.
Architecture
La Maison Bleue is a reinforced concrete apartment block with eight habitable storeys above a basement, on the corner of a street and a boulevard in the centre of Angers. Its structure bears witness to the decisive influence of Henri Sauvage on the architect Jusserand: the use of reinforced concrete is fully embraced as a tool of plastic expression, and the volume of the building features a treatment of the angles and upper levels that recalls the Parisian architect's experiments with the gradation and lightness of urban facades. The absolute uniqueness of the building lies in its mosaic cladding, created by the Odorico brothers. All - or almost all - of the facades facing the public thoroughfare are covered in glass and ceramic tesserae, forming a remarkably complex Art Deco decorative scheme. The motifs alternate between the strict geometry characteristic of the 1920s (Greciques, chevrons, lozenges) and more flexible floral or plant compositions, all orchestrated in a palette dominated by deep blues, luminous turquoises, sharp blacks and gold highlights that give the whole a sumptuous, coherent character. The horizontal bands between levels, the window surrounds and the infill surfaces are all part of the same overall design, conceived as a total work of art. The design of the corner, treated as a focal point of the décor, is particularly successful: the mosaics create an effect of continuity that envelops the building rather than simply cladding it. The proportions of the bays, the regular arrangement of the openings and the sobriety of the concrete structure serve as a disciplined counterpoint to the ornamental richness of the cladding, avoiding any excess and maintaining an elegant balance between constructive modernity and decorative luxury.
Related Figures
Jusserand — architecte angevin, concepteur de l'immeuble en 1927, influencé par Henri SauvageCreteaux — promoteur nantais commanditaire de l'édificeAuguste Odorico — mosaïste, l'un des frères Odorico responsables du décor des façadesIsidore Odorico — mosaïste, cofondateur de l'atelier Odorico de RennesHenri Sauvage — architecte parisien pionnier, influence majeure sur l'œuvre de JusserandHélène Guené — chercheuse dont les travaux ont révélé l'importance européenne de la Maison Bleue
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison Bleue located?
Maison Bleue is located in Angers, Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire region, France.
When was Maison Bleue built?
Maison Bleue dates back to a period built in the modern era (19th-20th century).
Is Maison Bleue open to visitors?
Maison Bleue is currently closed to visitors.