ARCHITECTURE. If you like architecture, so Paris is the city you must visit. Nowadays, you can still find more than 800 town houses all around the capital and building dating from the middle-ages that have lasted through times without visible scratches. Even better, many buildings of Paris have inspired worldwide architectural trends
To guide you, here’s a selection of the most beautiful buildings and front of Paris :
- Rue François Miron, 4th arrondissement
Behind the l’Hôtel de Ville de Paris (Paris Town Hall), at the numbers 11 and 13 of rue François Miron, bears evidence to the middle-age architecture in Paris.
Two amazing buildings that have been built between the 14th and 16th centuries, still up despite of many redevelopments, especially for security reasons. Note that half-timbering you see date from a restoration made in the 60’s. (Also see our walk in the Middle-Ages Paris)
- Immeubles Jules Lavirotte
Emblematic figure of the Art Nouveau movement (after Hector Guimard), Jules Lavirotte made outstanding building in Paris, known for being full of imagination and crazy inspiration.
– Avenue Rapp, 7th arrondissement
The first one is 29, avenue Rapp, close from the Eiffel Tower.
Winner of the prize of the best building front of Paris in 1901, it is a real catalogue of all kinds of patterns (flowers, animals, motives…). Moreover, do not forget to have a glance to the front door. If you carefully look at it, you will discover that it represents a phallic form… (More information about Lavirotte Building)
– Ceramic Hôtel, 17th arrondissement
The second one is not far from the Arc de Triomphe, around the Place des Ternes. Le Ceramic Hôtel, old Town House turned into a tourism hotel, is a building as much beautiful as surprising.
Entirely covered by ceramic (made by Alexandre Bigot) and decorated with an exuberant ornementation, it very well combines motives and structures.
- L’Hotel de Cluny, 6th arrondissement
Housing the National Museum of Middle-Ages, the Hôtel de Cluny is the most beautiful medieval building of Paris.
To enjoy the architecture, enter the courtyard that leads to the museum. Built at the end of the 15th century, just before the Renaissance style golden era, the Hôtel de Cluny is a wonderful mark of Gothic architecture in Paris.
Also see behind the museum the interesting medieval public garden of Cluny.
- Pagoda Paris – Maison Loo, 8ème arrondissement
An out of the ordinary buidling we don’t not expect to find in the heart of Paris !
Behind the Monceau park, Pagoda Paris is the result of an extravagant dream of a Chinese young art trader. Just arrived in Paris at the beginning of the 20th century, he bought up a Classic style Town House built in 1880 to tranform it into a splendid Pagoda. It is today a private museum that you can visit during temporary exhibitions (more informations about the Pagoda Paris).
- Hôtel Carnavalet, 4th arrondissement
To enjoy the impressiveness beauty of the Renaissance style (movement imported by King Charles VIII at the end of the 15th century after a wat against Italy, Go to the Hôtel Carnavalet, in the Marais.
Today Museum dedicated to history of Paris, you can freely get into, a godsend to discover the different fronts, the gardens, and above all the rooms ! Built in 1547 as a Renaissance “first try”, it is today a master stroke…
- Hôtel de Soubise, Archives Nationales, 3th arrondissement
One of the last great mansions in the Marais, built in 1708. Everything in there is beautiful and surprising.
Go 60 rue des Francs-Bourgeois and enter the large courtyard. Note the magnificence of the courtyard built in half-moon bordered by composite columns. If certain items as blazon have disappeared, the facade kept its period decoration, including the statues. The Hôtel de Soubise now houses the Archives Nationales, which organizes year-round exhibitions.
- Hôtel Gaillard, 17ème arrondissement
In the heart of the Plaine Monceau, arrondissement where you can find many Hôtels Particuliers typicals of 19th century’s architectural style, the Hôtel Gaillard is an amazing, and surprising, Renaissance style building.