Bordeaux : Building

The idea of creating a royal square and having a uniform facade along the quays of the Garonne took a long time to win. In 1746, Intendant Claude Boucher succeeded in obtaining the jurats' agreement to establish the first quay. In 1729, Jacques Gabriel presented three proposals. In 1731, he built the customs quay as well as the facades of adjacent buildings. After Boucher's death, Tourny took over the project with Ange-Jacques Gabriel, Jacques' son. In 1748, under the initiative of Aubert de Tourny, a monumental perspective was implemented. It is a uniform architectural order which extends the Place de la Bourse, formerly called Place Royale, facing the river. This prescription consists of a ground floor and a meal that form a base, integrated into a series of semicircular arcades, with two large square floors surmounted by a shame with the mansard, pierced with stone skylights. The base is highlighted by decks and sculpted patterns adorning the keys to the arcades. Although some facades have lost their supported iron supports or balconies, they have retained their character because of their original frames and tear. Stores have settled on the ground floor, which sometimes altered the arcades.