Architectural Walking Tour
5 Rue du Dr. Blanche, Pierre Patout, 1928
On Thursday, April 4th, our Redefining Modernity class left the classroom and headed for the streets of the 16th arrondissement to embark on a walking tour of the Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Modernist architecture.
Starting at Metro Ranelagh, the group walked towards 5 Rue du Dr. Blanche, where they saw an Art Deco building crafted by Pierre Patout in 1928, where they looked at its restoration and discussed the elements of the windows and iron ornamentation.
Maison La Roche/Maison Jeanneret, Le Corbusier, 1923-25
Next, they headed toward Rue Mallet-Stevens where they looked at an ensemble of houses created in 1927 by not only Robert Mallet Stevens, but also Jean Pouve amongst others. Here, they saw several buildings ranging in classic Mallet-Stevens styles, from his most monumental architectural building at the front of the street, to the concierge building at the end of the road. The class also walked by a movie set here, spotting a couple actors from Netflix hit, “The Hook Up Plan.”
The class then went to 8-10 Square du Dr. Blanche where they saw another Le Corbuiser classic, Maison La Roche/Maison Jeanneret, 1923-25.
Maison La Roche/Maison Jeanneret, Le Corbusier, 1923-25
The class discussed Le Corbuiser’s Five Points of Architecture…
- Pilotis – Replacement of supporting walls by a grid of reinforced concrete columns that bears the structural load is the basis of the new aesthetic.
- The free designing of the ground plan—the absence of supporting walls—means the house is unrestrained in its internal use.
- The free design of the façade—separating the exterior of the building from its structural function—sets the façade free from structural constraints.
- Ribbon Windows.
- Roof gardens on a flat roof can serve a domestic purpose while providing essential protection to the concrete roof.
Castel Beranger, Hector Guimard, 1894-1898
The rest of the tour was dedicated to observing the architectural structures by Hector Guimard, viewing his transition of styles from his preliminary buildings, to Castel Beranger (1894-1898), which was done after his visit to Victor Horta’s Hotel Tassel in Brussels.
Overall, the class enjoyed finally viewing classic architectural monuments in real life, taking in their grandeur and beauty.