The architecture of Paris created during the Belle Époque, between 1871 and the beginning of the First World War in 1914, was notable for its variety of different styles, from neo-Byzantine and neo-Gothic to classicism, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. It was also known for its lavish decoration and its imaginative use of both new and traditional materials, including iron, plate glass, colored tile and reinforced concrete. Notable buildings and structures of the period include the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Gare de Lyon, the Bon Marché department store, and the entries of the stations of the Paris Metro designed by Hector Guimard.
The architectural style of the Belle Époque often borrowed elements of historical styles, ranging from neo-Moorish Palais du Trocadéro, to the neo-Renaissance style of the new Hôtel de Ville, to the exuberant reinvention of French 17th and 18th century classicism in the Grand Palais and Petit Palais, the new building of the Sorbonne. The new railroad stations, office buildings and department stores often had classical facades which concealed resolutely modern interiors, built with iron frames, winding staircases, and large glass domes and skylights made possible by the new engineering techniques and materials of the period.
The Art Nouveau became the most famous style of the Belle Époque, particularly associated with the Paris Metro station entrances designed by Hector Guimard, and with a handful of other buildings, including Guimard's Castel Béranger (1898) at 14 rue La Fontaine, in the 16th arrondissement, and the ceramic-sculpture covered house by architect Jules Lavirotte at 29 Avenue Rapp (7th arrondissement). The enthusiasm for Art Nouveau did not last long; in 1904 the Guimard Metro entrance at Place de l'Opera it was replaced by a more classical entrance. Beginning in 1912, all the Guimard metro entrances were replaced with functional entrances without decoration.
The most famous church of the period was the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur, built over the entire span of the Belle Époque, between 1874 and 1913, but not consecrated until 1919. It was modeled after Romanesque and Byzantine cathedrals of the early Middle Ages. The first church in Paris to be constructed of reinforced concrete was Saint-Jean-de-Montmartre, at 19 rue des Abbesses at the foot of Montmartre. The architect was Anatole de Baudot, a student of Viollet-le-Duc. The nature of the revolution was not evident, because Baudot faced the concrete with brick and ceramic tiles in a colorful Art nouveau style, with stained glass windows in the same style.
A new style, Art Deco, appeared at the end of the Belle Époque and succeeded Art Nouveau as the dominant architectural tradition in the 1920s. Usually built of reinforced concrete in rectangular forms, crisp straight lines, with sculptural detail applied to the outside rather than as part of the structure, it drew from classical models and stressed functionality. The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (1913), designed by Auguste Perret, was the first Paris building utilizing Art Deco. Other innovative buildings in the new style were built by Henri Sauvage, using reinforced concrete covered with ceramic tile and step-like structures to create terraces. By the 1920s, it had become the dominant style in Paris.
Architecture of the Paris Expositions
Three great international expositions were held in Paris during the Belle Époque, designed to showcase modern technologies, industries and the arts. They attracted millions of visitors from around the world, and influenced architecture far outside France.
The first, the Paris Universal Exposition of 1878, occupied the Champ-de-Mars, the hill of Chaillot on the other side of the Seine, and the esplanade of the Invalides. The central building, the Palais de Trocadero, was constructed in a picturesque neo-Moorish or neo-Byzantine style by architect Gabriel Davioud, whose other notable works, built for Napoleon III, included the two theaters on the Place du Chatelet and the Fontaine Saint-Michel. The palace was used in all three Expositions of the Belle Époque, but was finally demolished in 1936 to make room for the modern Palace of Chaillot.
The Paris Universal Exposition of 1889, celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution, was much larger than the 1878 Exposition, and gave Paris two revolutionary new structures; The Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world, and became the symbol of the Exposition. The tower brought lasting fame to its constructor, Gustave Eiffel. The architects of the tower, including Stephen Sauvestre, who designed the graceful curving arches of the base, the glass observation platform on the second level and the cupola at the top, remain nearly unknown.
An equally significant building constructed for the fair was the Galerie des machines, designed by engineer Victor Contamin and architect Ferdinand Dutert. It was located at the opposite end of Champ-de-Mars from the Eiffel Tower. It was reused at the exposition of 1900 and then destroyed in 1910. At 111 meters, the Galerie (or "Machinery Hall") spanned the longest interior space in the world at the time, using a system of hinged arches (like a series of bridge spans placed not end-to-end but parallel) made of iron.Stamper, John, Studies in the History of Civil Engineering (2000), Volume 1. It was used again in the 1900 Exposition. When the 1900 Exposition ended, the French government offered to move the structure to the edge of Paris, but the city government chose to demolish it in order to resell the building materials. It was torn down in 1909.
The 1900 Exposition was the largest and most successful of them all, occupying most of the space along the Seine from the Champs-de-Mars and Trocadero to the Place de la Concorde. The Grand Palais, the largest exhibition hall, was designed by architect Henri Deglane, assisted by Albert Louvet. Deglane had been an assistant to Dufert, the builder of the Palace of Machines. The new building contained an enormous gallery, whose arches converged to create a monumental glass dome. Though its visible iron framework made it appear very revolutionary and modern, much of its iron work purely decorative; the gothic iron columns which seemed to support the dome did not carry any weight; the weight was actually distributed to reinforced columns hidden behind the balconies. The facade was massive and neoclassical, with towering rows of columns supporting two sculptural ensembles. It served both to give a strong vertical element to balance the great width of the building, and to conceal the glass and steel structure behind. It was also designed to be in harmony with the historic buildings nearby, including the buildings around the Place de la Concorde and the 17th century church of Les Invalides on the other side of the Seine. The facade was greatly admired and widely imitated; a similar facade was given to the New York Public Library in 1911.
The most prominent architectural feature inside the Grand Palais was the Grand Stairway of Honor, which overlooked the main floor, which at the 1900 Exposition contained an exhibition of monumental sculpture. It was perfectly classical in style. It was originally intended to be built of stone. Deglane and Louvet built a model of plaster and stucco on a metal frame, and then decided, to make it harmonious with the rest of the interior, to make it completely out of copper, highly ornamental and very expensive. Using iron in place of stone traditionally reduced building costs, but in the case of the Grand Palais, because of the enormous amounts of iron used, it actually increased the cost. The construction of the Grand Palais used 9,507 tons of metal, compared with 7,300 tons for the Eiffel Tower.
The Petit Palais, designed by Charles Giraud, was directly across from the Grand Palais, and had a similar monumental entrance (both entrances were designed by Giraud). Both buildings also had rows of massive columns, which served as a powerful vertical element to balance the great width of the buildings, and also concealed the modern iron framework behind. However, the most original feature of the Petit Palais was the interior; Girault eliminated the traditional walls and spaces and made full use of reinforced concrete to create majestic winding staircases and wide entry ways, built enormous skylights and windows that provided abundant light, and turned the interior into a single unified space.
Residential buildings
As the end of the 19th century approached, many architectural critics complained that the uniform style of apartment buildings imposed by Haussmann on the new boulevards of Paris under Napoleon III was monotonous and uninteresting. Haussmann had required that apartment buildings have the same height, and that facades have the same general design and color of stone. In 1898, to try to bring more variety to the appearance of the boulevards, the City of Paris sponsored a competition for the best new apartment building facade. One of the first winners in 1898 was the thirty-one year old architect Hector Guimard (1867–1942). Guimard's building, built between 1895 and 1898, was called the Castel Beranger, and was located at 14 rue de la Fontaine in the 16th arrondissement. It contained thirty-six apartments, and each one was different architecturally. Guimard thought out and designed every aspect of the building himself, down to the door-knobs. He introduced an abundance neo-Gothic decorative elements, made of wrought iron or sculpted in stone, which gave it a personality different from any other Paris building. Guimard was also an expert at the new art of public relations, and he persuaded critics and the public that the new building heralded a revolution in architecture. Before long, based on his work and his publicity, he became the most famous of Paris Belle Époque architects.
In 1901, the facade competition was won by another remarkable architect, Jules Lavirotte (1864–1924), for an apartment building whose facade featured ceramic decoration by Alexandre Bigot, a chemistry professor who became interested in ceramics at the Chinese exhibition at the 1889 International Exposition, and who started his own firm to make ceramic sculpture and decoration. The Lavirotte Building, located at 29 Avenue Rapp in the 7th arrondissement, became its most prominent advertisement. The Lavirotte Building was more a piece of sculpture than a traditional building. Unlike other Paris buildings, whose decoration was usually modeled a particular period or style, the Lavirotte Building, like the opera house of Charles Garnier, was unique; there was nothing else in Paris like it. The front entrance was surrounded by ceramic sculpture, and upper floors were entirely covered with ceramic tile and decoration. The building also featured a novel construction feature; the walls were built of hollow bricks; iron rods were inserted inside, and the bricks were filled with cement. For the exterior decoration, Lavirotte commissioned a team of sculptors and craftsmen.
In 1904, the architect Auguste Perret used reinforced concrete to create a revolutionary new building at 25 bis on Rue Franklin in the 16th arrondissement. Reinforced concrete had been used before in Paris, usually to imitate stone. Perret was among the first to take full advantage of the new architectural forms it could make. The building was on a small site, but offered an exceptional view of Paris. To maximize the view, Perret built the house with large windows framed with ceramic decorative plaques made by Alexandre Bigot, mounted on reinforced concrete, so that the facade of the building was almost entirely windows. The plaques were of a neutral color, to give the appearance of stone. By adding an excèdre on the facade, he was able to create five apartments on each floor, each with the view, whereas a flat traditional facade would have had only four.