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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The hotel of Basquiat is a private hotel located in the 29th course of Albret in Bordeaux, built between 1778 and 1781 by architect François Lhote for Joseph de Basquiat de Mugriet, adviser to the Parliament of Bordeaux. The latter acquired the land in 1777 from the archdiocese, then seeking funding for his episcopal palace. The neo-classical architecture of the building, inspired by the Petit Trianon, is distinguished by its austere facade on the courtyard and its ionic pilasters on the garden side.

In 1792, the hotel was confiscated as a national property after the emigration from Basquiat and then sold to Louis-Gaspard d'Estournel, acting for the German merchant Jean-Rodolphe Wirtz, enriched by the slave trade. After changes of owners in the 19th century, including Colonel Pierlot, the city of Bordeaux acquired in 1887 to install the rectorate of the academy, a function which he retained until 2024.

Ranked a historic monument in 1959, the hotel preserves a large part of its original interior decorations, including a pilaster vestibule and lounges decorated with garlands. Its garden, initially extended to the Rue du Château d'Eau, was halved in the 1960s. In 2026, its sale for EUR 5.45 million to a financial group provides for a rehabilitation combining culture, restoration and tertiary spaces, with a partial opening to the public.

Lhote architecture, marked by references to the Petit Trianon, is characterized by a balanced eurrhythmia, triangular frontons and a balustrade terrace. Inside, the original space organization remains, with apartments on the first floor and lounges on the ground floor. Sculpture The lily cutter (1896) by Henri Bouillon now adorns the square garden, a vestige of the original layout.

The complete protection of the hotel in 1959 underscores its heritage importance, linked to Bordeaux parliamentary history and 18th century urban planning. Its evolution reflects the political and social upheavals, from the Revolution to its modern institutional use, before its privatisation announced for a mixed project partially preserving its public access.

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