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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The buildings at numbers 2 to 14 of the driveways of the President-Franklin-Roosevelt in Toulouse were built between 1932 and 1936, as part of the subdivision of Gontaut-Biron. This architectural complex is distinguished by its five floors, where the facades alternate red brick and white coated parts (subsoil, balconies, attics). The rounded corner of the building, pierced by tripartite bays, creates a contrast between the horizontality of the shooting balconies and the marked verticality of the structure. The top floor, in attic, covers only part of the building, accentuating this visual effect.

The land once occupied a brewery, before being transformed into an island bordered by the square of the Grand-Rond, the Forain-François-Verdier alleys and the rue de la Brasserie. These buildings are part of a Toulouse Art Deco heritage, characterized by local materials such as brick and a concern for urban harmony. Their style reflects the influence of architects Pierre and Antonin Thuriès, masters of the project.

Ranked among the Historical Monuments since 2018, these buildings are protected for their facades and roofs, notably those of the numbers 2 aisles Forain-François-Verdier and 2 rue de la Brasserie. They integrate into a network of associated monuments, including private hotels and bourgeois houses in the same neighbourhood, testifying to the urbanization of Toulouse in the inter-war period.

Their location, close to green areas like the Grand-Rond, and their neat architecture make it an example of the elegant collective housing of the 1930s. The shooting balconies, attics and symmetry games illustrate an aesthetic research typical of the era, mixing functionality and ornaments.

The buildings are now recognized for their architectural and urban heritage value. Their inclusion in the inventory of Historic Monuments highlights their role in the history of Toulouse, between modernization and preservation of an industrial and residential heritage.

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