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 materialize. In 1746, Intendant Claude Boucher obtained the jurats' agreement for the first construction of a quay. In 1729, Jacques Gabriel presented three proposals. In 1731, he produced the Customs Quai and the facades of adjacent buildings. After the death of Boucher, Tourny continued the project with Gabriel's son, Ange-Jacques. It was in 1748, thanks to the initiative of Aubert de Tourny, that the monumental perspective was developed. This coherent architectural plan extends the Place de la Bourse, which was previously the Place Royale, on the edge of the river. This structure includes a ground floor and a meal forming a base, chained by a series of semicircular arcades, followed by two square floors surmounted by a shame with the mansard, embellished with stone skylights. The pattern of the base is highlighted by refers and ornaments carved above the arcades. Although some facades have lost their supports or their wrought iron balconies, they retain their original character thanks to their frames and their tears. Boutiques have settled on the ground floor, which sometimes harmed the arcades.