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Castel Beranger, Paris

Hector Guimard • Architecture, 1898
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About the artwork
Art form: Architecture
Style of art: Art Nouveau
Date of creation: 1898
Artwork in selections: 1 selection

Description of the artwork «Castel Beranger, Paris»

Castell (castle) Beranger - this is the building that made Guimard famous. He considered him one of his most important creations. Together withHumbert Romansky Concert Hall andParis metro entrances Castel Beranger was included in the article “Architectural Protocol” of 1902, which tells about the art nouveau style of the American audience.

Guimard received carte blanche from his patroness Marie-Elisabeth Fournier for the design of this multi-story residential building of 36 apartments in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It was the first apartment building in the city, built in a new style. As a result, the entire spectrum of Guimard's creative abilities is reflected in the building. He met with the architecture of Art Nouveau shortly before he embarked on a new order - during a trip to Brussels in 1895. There he met with colleague Victor Orta and was delighted with his ideas.

In 1893-94, Horta built the Tassel mansion, which was later recognized as the first Art Nouveau building. He was inspired not by classical models, but by nature, especially the curved stems of plants and flowers. The Belgian also emphasized the importance of unity in the building: structure, decoration, furniture, wallpaper, carpets and decoration should be combined with each other. In Castel Beranger, Guimard designed all the details, including furniture, decorative elements made of iron, carpets, stained-glass windows, wallpaper, door locks and handles.

After the project was completed, Guimard sent Orte a signed copy of a luxurious album with views and interiors of the building, signing it with “an outstanding master and friend Victor Orte with respect from his admirer”.

Castell Beranger jewelry is full of undulating plastic lines, for example, in the lobby, the walls of which are covered with glazed ceramic tiles. They are complemented by identical sinuous shapes resembling stems or branches of plants in apartments. Guimard himself and his friend, the artist, settled in two of them. Paul Signac. The building often uses copper plating and decor on balconies, downpipes and gates. There are strange motifs like theatrical masks and seahorses. A significant part of them was oxidized to a natural green color.

The word "Castel" (Castel instead of the usual Hotel, the mansion) in the name implies comparing the building with a medieval castle and Gothic style, which Guimard admired. In 1898, the architect won the first facade contest organized by the municipality of Paris to encourage designers to add variety to monotonous residential neighborhoods. This victory brought Guimard instant fame, and in the same year he was chosen to design the entrances to the new Paris metro stations.

Guimard also took an unusual step for his time, starting a public relations campaign based on the new building and promoting art nouveau as a progressive style. In the same manner, he built another house in Paris - Guimard mansion, your own residence. In it, he moved away from the idea of decor in the Art Nouveau style and gave the building its natural forms.
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