Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The idea of a royal square and a uniform facade of the docks along the Garonne gradually emerged. In 1746, intendant Claude Boucher obtained the agreement of the jurats for the creation of a first dock. By 1729 the architect Jacques Gabriel had presented three projects, before building in 1731 the Quai de la Douane and its facades bordering the river. This initial project marked the beginning of an ambitious architectural order, but it was not until Boucher's death that his successor, Tourny, revived the work with Ange-Jacques Gabriel, son of Jacques.

The monumental perspective was completed in 1748 under the impulse of Aubert de Tourny. It extended Place Royale (now Place de la Bourse) into a series of homogeneous facades, structured by a ground floor with arches in the middle, two square floors, and an attic with the Mansard pierced by skylights. The renditions and sculptures adorning the keys of the arcades highlighted this underlay, while the wrought iron balconies, now partially disappeared, complemented the whole. Despite the installation of shops on the ground floor, sometimes altering the arcades, the facades retain their original character thanks to their frames and larmies.

Ranked Historic Monument in 1951 for its facade and roof, this building illustrates the architectural heritage of the Enlightenment in Bordeaux. It is part of a larger urban project, combining aesthetic ambition and functionality, with integrated commercial spaces from its design. The architects Gabriel, father and son, left a lasting imprint, combining classicism and adaptation to local constraints, as evidenced by the materials and carved motifs still visible today.

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