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Origin and history

The building located at the 18 quai des Salinières in Bordeaux is part of the urban project to create a homogeneous facade along the Garonne, initiated in the 18th century. This project, carried by intendant Claude Boucher as early as 1746, aimed to structure the docks with a uniform architectural ordinance, combining ground floor with arcades, two square floors and a Mansard attic. The arches in the middle hanger, decorated with carved motifs, and the original larmies give these facades their monumental character, despite the partial disappearance of wrought iron balconies.

The realization of this monumental perspective was taken over by Aubert de Tourny after Boucher's death, in collaboration with Ange-Jacques Gabriel, son of Jacques Gabriel, architect at the origin of the first projects (1729) and the Quai de la Douane (1731). The facades, designed to visually extend Place Royale (now Place de la Bourse), were completed in 1748. Their partial protection (facade and roof) by decree in 1951 bears witness to their heritage value, although the arcades have sometimes been altered by shops on the ground floor.

The architectural party is based on a classical rigor: underlay marked by splits, floors rhythmized by stone frames, and skylights pierced in the attic. These elements, inspired by Parisian models, illustrate the influence of Gabriels in Bordeaux urban planning of the Enlightenment. The license of sculpted details contrasts with the sobriety of general lines, reflecting both the desire for a royal place and the technical constraints of the era.

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