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Origin and history

The Perraudeau building is a neo-classical building built in the middle of the eighteenth century on the Turenne wharf, west of Feydeau Island, in the centre of Nantes. It is part of Feydeau Island's urban planning programme, launched in 1723 by the embankment of a sand bank called the Saulzai strike. The subdivision, which took place in 1733, was initially governed by a strict architectural code established by the engineer Jacques Goubert, before this obligation was lifted in 1743, leaving room for freer projects.

In 1752, architect François Perraudeau and senechal René Leroux acquired Lot No. 10, formerly owned by Pierre Sarrebourse d'Audeville, consul of Nantes between 1719 and 1720. They divide the plot in two and erect report buildings there that share a common courtyard, with an entrance at 21 Kervégan Street. The building, inhabited by traders, annuitants and merchants at the end of the 18th century, is distinguished by its facades and roof, which were included in the additional inventory of historical monuments on 5 December 1984.

The building uses materials typical of the region, such as tuffeau and granite, with a triangular pediment characteristic of the period. The ground floor features arches of full hanger illuminating the basement, while a balcony on console adorns the first floor. Despite innovative techniques for the time, such as oak stilts and a radier attributed to architect Pierre Rousseau, the building suffers from problems of stability, visible on its façade.

Feydeau Island, where the building is located, is a symbol of the urban and economic expansion of Nantes in the 18th century. This neighborhood, designed to accommodate a growing trading bourgeoisie, reflects the importance of maritime trade and rent in the city. The report buildings, like Perraudeau's, bear witness to this prosperity and the architectural ambitions of the Haitian elite.

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