Saurupt

Saurupt is a district of the town of Nancy, classically delimited by the Georges-Clemenceau boulevard, the avenue of the General-Leclerc, the quay of the Battle, and the streets of Nabécor and the Marshal-Oudinot.

He is famous for his dwellings of style École of Nancy (Art nouveau), built at the beginning of the 20th century thanks to one of the first projects of allotment of the city, named park of Saurupt and located in the South-western part of the district. Saurupt also shelters the 3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of the mines of Nancy.

History

Origins

Saurupt (étymologiquement “brook of the willows”) is in the beginning a Lieu-dit located well off Nancy close to the brook of Nabécor, where glazing bar was, outpost of the Forêt of the Hague. An episode of the Bataille of Nancy proceeds there in 1477. As of the 16th century, the place becomes a privileged place of relaxation of the ducal family which rebuilt there a castle which will be mainly destroyed with the Révolution.

The park of Saurupt

In 1898, the field of Saurupt is bequeathed to the Old people's homes of Nancy to died of its last owner, Alfred Hinzelin. Its widow finally obtains to preserve the property, but it is soon forced to separate from most of the grounds to preserve the castle. Her new husband, Jules Villard, launch out then in the creation of an ambitious allotment of villas: the park of Saurupt. At the end of the 19th century, the spectacular demographic rise of Nancy east at the origin of an serious attack of housing for the population, which remains primarily concentrated within the limits of the city fixed at the 18th century. Resigner in the urban development, the municipality leaves with the only initiative private owners the boring of the streets, limiting his intervention to the installation of utility services. It is in this urban and architectural experiment private that the creation of the park of Saurupt is registered.

The concept of the Cité-jardin in edge of city and intended for an easy population takes as a starting point the English model and the French example of the allotment of the Vésinet close to Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer.

Jules Villard calls upon the best local representatives of the Art nouveau, in particular Emile André and Henri Gutton, members of the École of Nancy, for the implementation of the project which is launched in 1901. The park comprises 88 properties out of 18 hectares, it is closed by grids and is kept by a caretaker.

Unfortunately, the company does not gain discounted success, and in 1906 only six villas are built, in the Northern part of the field. The project is then modified to satisfy more modest customers, and a whole part of the park is redrawn to accommodate joint houses, whereas the streets are integrated into the municipal network and the grids of Louis Majorelle are deposited about 1910. The park will be consequently a relative success and will be completed in the Années 1930, the Art Déco having taken the relay of the Art nouveau.

In 1918, the castle of Saurupt is bequeathed to the city which demolishes it in 1936 to build a Orphelinat, and finally the École des Mines in 1955.

In spite of the vicissitudes of its development, and in particular the very discussed destruction of the pilot villa at the entry of the allotment in 1974, the park offers still today an excellent outline of middle-class architecture to Nancy at the beginning of the 20th century.

One can inter alia admiring there:

the cabin of the caretaker (1902-1903), 2 rue des Brice, by Emile Andre and Joseph Hornecker
the villa Glycines (1902-1904), 5 rue des Brice, by Emile Andre
the villa the Rocks (1902-1904), 6 rue des Brice, by Emile Andre
the villa Marguerite (1903-1904), 3 rue du Colonel Renard, by Henri Gutton and Joseph Hornecker
the villa Lang (1905-1906), 1 boulevard Georges Clemenceau, by Lucien Weissenburger
the villa Fruhinsholz (1908-1910), 77 avenue du Général Leclerc, by Leon Cayotte
the villa The Storks (1923-1924), Marguerite roundabout of Lorraine, by Charles Masson

Appearances with the cinema

From Monday, June 18 to Wednesday, July 11, 2007, a turning proceeded in the villa the Storks with Kristin Scott Thomas and Elsa Zylberstein, for the film A long time ago that I love you , of Philippe Claudel. Some scenes were also recorded in the close streets, like with the Parc Sainte-Marie, which generated a little animation with the movements of the team of turning and the heavy vehicles stationed around the Marguerite Roundabout of Lorraine. The film will be on the big screens in 2008.

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