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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The idea of a royal square and a uniform façade along the banks of the Garonne in Bordeaux has gradually emerged. As early as 1729, the architect Jacques Gabriel proposed three projects, then built in 1731 the Quai de la Douane and its facades. In 1746 the intendant Claude Boucher obtained the agreement of the jurats to create a first quay, but it was after his death that the project was taken over by Aubert de Tourny, in collaboration with Ange-Jacques Gabriel, son of Jacques.

The monumental perspective was completed in 1748 under the impulse of Tourny. It forms a homogeneous architectural ordinance, extending the Place Royale (now Place de la Bourse) opposite the river. This project includes a ground floor and an arcade basement, two square floors, and a mansard-drilled roof. The facades, although partially altered (disappearance of balconies or wrought iron supports), retain their original character thanks to their frames and larmies.

The arcades on the ground floor, originally designed to unify the whole, have sometimes been modified by the installation of shops. Despite these transformations, the general ordinance remains, illustrating the urban ambition of the 18th century in Bordeaux. The façade and roof, including the return to the rue du quai Bourgeois, have been protected since 1951 by a decree to register for the Historical Monuments.

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