History of architecture in Paris
Since nearly two thousand years, architecture marks the landscape of Paris deeply: it is all the history of the city which is read through its palates, its churches, its hotels, its places and its houses. The history of architecture is inseparable from the Histoire of Parisian town planning.
The Middle Ages
Of IVe with Xe century
In IVe century, whereas Paris becomes a political center because of the stay of several emperors Roman S, principal constructions who rise on the island of the City are the following ones: an enclosure, a palate (the old palate of the prefect, located at the Western end of the island) and a cathedral.
At the next century, Clovis makes build on left bank of the Seine, at the top of a hill (current Montagne Holy-Genevieve), a basilica dedicated to the Apostles and intended to shelter his tomb (future abbey Holy-Genevieve, with the site of current the Lycée Henri-Iv). His/her son, Childebert, raise in his turn another basilica dedicated to the Holy Cross and in Saint-Vincent (current abbey Saint-Germain-of-Meadows), also intended to shelter his tomb. The cathedral and the two basilicas will be used a long time as model at many later religious buildings.
From VIIIe century, architectural creation is blown because of preeminence of Aachen within the empire Carolingien.
XIe century
It is necessary to await XIe century so that Parisian architecture wakes up again. A new enclosure is built on Right Bank and of many houses are built.
Especially, two important buildings are rebuilt and testify to a rupture with the former architectural tradition. The first is the palate of the island of the City, which becomes a modern royal palace. The second is abbey Saint-Germain-of-Meadows: by its technique of construction, by its plan, the caractériques ones of its nave (rise on two levels, forms supports, central vessel with spans…), it constitutes a major monument which makes date in the history of the religious architecture.
XIIe century
At the beginning of the century opens out the Romanesque architecture in many buildings, whose principal ones are the Saint-Martin-of-Fields abbey, the Holy-Genevieve abbey, the Saint-Aignan vault and the Saint-Pierre church with-Montmartre. These buildings are characterized by many architectural elements: Déambulatoire, radiating chapels S, columns and posts, capitals, animalist decoration… One builds the Chevet Saint-Germain-of-Meadows, as well as the Saint-Julien-the-Poor church.
Consequently, Paris becomes the source of inspiration of the architects of whole Europe. Many private mansions are built on two banks of the Seine. As from 1160, Maurice de Sully undertakes the construction of the cathedral Notre-Dame, mixture of tradition (vessels, bedside) and of innovation (rise on four levels). During one century, it is a place of creation which is used as model with all the artists.
In parallel, Philippe Auguste makes build a new enclosure to protect the Right Bank, which does not cease developing. This stone enclosure is flanked turns and comprises a crenelated covered way. In the west, the city is defended by a fortress, Louvre, is dominated by a 30 meters high central tower and which becomes the symbol of the royal power. A specific body of architects was employed for the construction of these two monuments.
XIIIe century
Modern and populated, Paris is then regarded as the most beautiful town of Europe. Wood is less and less used, and the buildings hones some multiply. Stone masons and masons make their appearance and build many private mansions for the large lords and the ecclesiastics. A new enclosure, not very defensive, are built on left bank in 1209.
The construction of the cathedral Notre-Dame continues, under the influence of the Gothic architecture born at the previous century. Innovations are made: column with engaged posts, gallery plumb with the towers tended ahead of of the wall and not cut in its thickness, window-frame…
The other remarkable religious building builds at that time is the the Ste Chapelle. Its principal originality lies in the use of the metal, used inside masonry to reinforce the unit.
XIVe century
Philippe Beautiful the makes rebuild the Palais of the City, already altered two centuries before. The high room is divided into two vessels by a series of columns, and this model goes perdurer in a great number of seigneuriaux palates. An enclosure protects what became the vastest royal palace of Europe.
From 1364, Paris is deeply transformed under the impulse of Charles V. A new enclosure is built on Right Bank: its most famous door is consisted the fortress of the Bastille, at the end of the Rue Saint-Anthony. the Louvre, which loses its defensive aspect to become a palate, from now on is included inside the city.
Near the Bastille the Hôtel Saint-pol., equipped with galleries and gardens is built. Other hotels are born (of Nesle, of Bourbon, of Clisson).
On left bank many colleges are built. Raymond of the Temple thus builds the vault of the college of Dormans (see Jean de Dormans).
XVe century
Under the influence of the War One hundred Year old, artistic creation slows down, while the need for protecting the city is reinforced. Jean without Peur makes build a tower to defend the old hotel of Artois (future Hôtel of Burgundy).
End of the English domination (1436) mark rebirth of Parisian architecture. Are built the Hôtel of the archbishops of Direction and that of the abbots of Cluny; this introduced last of important innovations (provision between court and garden, horizontal and vertical circulations, open and closed galleries).
Blazing architecture is spread in the church Saint-Germain-the Auxerrois (rise on two levels, opening of spaces). Other churches are built (Saint-Severin, Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais). A major innovation consists in surmounting the gate of a gâble above which an immense bay (Saint-Merri church) is bored. The external buttresses are skilfully carved (Tour Saint-Jacob).
Modern times
XVIe century
Whereas the Italian Renaissance upsets European art, the first decades of Parisian architecture are still influenced by blazing, as the decoration testifies some to the Large-Room of the palate of the City. The Town hall and the church Saint-Eustace seem hybrid experiments: thus the latter is inspired it by Notre-Dame, as well in her volumes as in its plan.
The true originality occurs with the traditional style, inspired of Antiquity, works of Philibert of the Elm, Pierre Lescot, Jean Goujon, Jean Bullant and Baptiste Androuet of the Hoop (see Jacques Androuet of the Hoop). The symbol of this art nouveau is the Fontaine of Innocent the (1549), whose Bas-relief S make the admiration of the artists. The building site of rebuilding of Louvre makes it possible these architects to give to the French classicism all its dimension, exploiting the richness of the decorative sculpture. The construction of the Palate of Tileries (as from 1564), connected soon to Louvre, accentuates the monumental character of the project.
The Parisian hotel takes form: a building on street connected by two wings perpendicular to a main building raised between court and garden. Are thus built the hotel of Ligneris (current Carnavalet hotel) and the hotel of Angouleme (current Lamoignon hotel). The installed stone, fray with brick as from the years 1570, is used for the most remarkable buildings.
Churches are built or completed (Saint-Etienne-of-Mount, Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais, Saint-Merri) and break gradually with the Gothic model, especially in the decoration, which marries from now on the traditional style: it thus is jubés by it built with Saint-Germain-the Auxerrois (1544, today disappeared) and Saint-Etienne-of-Mount (1545). Certain furnace bridges also testify to this introduction of the classicism (Saint-Merri church). One of the traditional religious units most remarkable is the cloister of Célestins, built in 1541 (disappeared today). The vault of the Goldsmiths also testifies to this new style. In the chorus of the Saint M3edard's Day church and that of Saint-Martin-of-Fields, piles treated in columns classicisantes combine with ribbed vaults. The vault of the Saint-Victor abbey is rebuilt.
The successive sovereigns impel throughout the century of other architectural and urban transformations (Pont Notre-Dame, houses built within the framework of new allotments). The traditional city is built little by little on the medieval city, the houses with wood sides ending up disappearing completely from the landscape.
Related articles
- Elys3ee palace
- Eiffel Tower
- Center Beaubourg