Maison
Monument
Maison, located in Roubaix (Nord), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Roubaix, Nord, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.6903, 3.1734
- Mérimée Reference
- PA59000025
An unusual jewel in Roubaix's crown, this 1893 house features a unique façade of glazed green bricks and Art Nouveau terracotta tiles, a rare example of bold Belgian architecture in the heart of the North of France.
History
At the bend in a Roubaix street, an unexpected façade emerges with the singular brilliance of its green enamelled bricks: the Dubois house, built in 1893, is one of the most original works of architectural heritage in the north of France. Far from the conventions of the time, it embodies a pivotal moment in the history of art, when the nascent Art Nouveau movement sought to break away from academicism and celebrate nature, curves and materials. What makes this residence truly unique is the boldness of its decorative style. Where red brick dominates the urban landscapes of the North, Belgian architect Auguste-Georges Dubois chose a deep green enamelled cladding, the colour of patina and vegetation, giving the façade an almost unreal presence. This choice of colour, resolutely modern for its time, is in keeping with the contemporary experiments of Victor Horta in Brussels, of whom Dubois was a direct contemporary. The experience of visiting this listed house is that of an intimate discovery. On the outside, your gaze is drawn to the terracotta figures of women clad in sheaths that adorn the frieze on the first floor, alternating with cartouches proudly bearing the date "1893". These sensual, stylised figures herald the Symbolist and Naturalist vocabulary that was to flourish throughout Europe at the turn of the century. Inside, the living room facing the street features a beautifully crafted coffered ceiling, a vestige of a carefully thought-out bourgeois interior, where every detail betrays the architect's desire for total harmony between the exterior envelope and the living space. This coherence between inside and outside is precisely what characterises the great works of this period. Placing this house in the Roubaix landscape is a reminder of the town's historic role in Franco-Belgian cultural exchanges, fuelled by a flourishing textile industry that attracted architects, craftsmen and entrepreneurs from both sides of the border. The Maison Dubois is a living reflection of this creative porosity.
Architecture
The Dubois house is built on a three-storey elevation, arranged in a vertical composition typical of late nineteenth-century urban bourgeois architecture, but immediately identifiable by its glazed green brick facing, which radically sets it apart from its neighbours. This cladding, with its deep, matt sheen, captures the light from the north in a way that changes with the hours and the seasons, giving the façade an almost mineral presence. The first floor is the level of representation par excellence. The windows are surmounted by a carefully composed frieze, punctuated by three cartouches bearing the date of construction and by figures of clad women modelled in terracotta. These sculpted elements, with their sensual, stylised forms, herald the symbolist vocabulary of Art Nouveau: the female body as an architectural ornament, terracotta as a noble material. Together, they form a coherent decorative programme that is both narrative and aesthetic. Inside, the salon on the street retains a coffered ceiling of fine classical sobriety, which contrasts delightfully with the expressiveness of the façade. This dialectic between a bold exterior and a refined but temperate interior is characteristic of architects of Dubois's generation, trained in academicism but seduced by new ornamental possibilities. The whole bears witness to a consummate mastery of the arts of interior decoration, from the design of the ceiling to the woodwork that probably accompanied this reception space.
Related Figures
Auguste-Georges Dubois — architecte belge, concepteur de la maison (1893)Victor Horta — architecte belge contemporain, figure tutélaire de l'Art Nouveau auquel Dubois est souvent comparéM. Dubois père — commanditaire de la maison, père de l'architecte
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison located?
Maison is located in Roubaix, Nord department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Maison built?
Maison dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Maison open to visitors?
Maison is currently closed to visitors.