Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building located at 22 rue du Général-de-Castelnau in Strasbourg is an emblematic example of Art Nouveau architecture in Alsace. Built between 1901 and 1903 by architects Frantz Lütke and Heinrich Backes, it initially served as a report building while sheltering their cabinet. Its facades and vestibule are distinguished by organic columns evoking vegetal stems, decorated with stylized leaves, buttons and corollas. The walls of the vestibule are covered with tiles of faience representing lotus flowers, a characteristic detail of Art Nouveau aesthetics.

The building was listed as historic monuments by order of 29 October 1975, protecting its facades, roofs, vestibule and wrought iron staircase. This classification underlines its heritage importance, both for its architectural style and for its state of conservation. The building illustrates the influence of the Art Nouveau movement in Strasbourg, a city marked by intense cultural exchanges between France and Germany, reflected in its built heritage.

Architects Lütke and Backes, local figures of this period, designed a building where structure and decoration unite to create visual harmony. The choice of natural motifs, such as lotus flowers, and the use of materials such as earthenware or wrought iron, testify to their mastery of the techniques and aesthetic codes of the time. Today, the building remains a valuable testimony of this creative period, accessible from the street although its internal visit is not mentioned as open to the public.

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