Bordeaux : Building

The idea of a royal square and a uniform facade along the platforms of the Garonne took time to settle. In 1746, the intendant Claude Boucher managed to obtain the jurats approval for the creation of a quay. In 1729, Jacques Gabriel presented three proposals. In 1731 Gabriel built the customs quay as well as the facades of the buildings that border it. After Boucher's death, Tourny took over the project with Gabriel's son, Ange-Jacques. In 1748, on the initiative of Aubert de Tourny, a monumental perspective was created. It is a coherent architectural ensemble which extends from the Place de la Bourse, formerly called Place Royale, to the river. This ensemble includes a ground floor and a meal forming a base, with a series of semicircular arcades, followed by two large square floors surmounted by a roof with the mansard pierced with stone skylights. The motive for the base is accentuated by reports and rich sculptures to the key to the arcades. Even if certain facades have lost their supports or their wrought iron balconies, they have retained their character thanks to their framework and their original tears. Stores have settled on the ground floor, which sometimes altered the arcades.