Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hôtel des archives départementales de la Gironde is creating a growing need to centralize administrative documents in Bordeaux. By the end of the 18th century, the archives, scattered and poorly preserved (especially in the heights of the prefecture), became considerably richer. In 1819, they were transferred to the Chartrons' Square, but the building, old and close to an alcohol depot, proved inadequate. Despite restoration projects in 1841, the General Council opted in 1857 for a new construction, declared public utility by imperial decree in 1860 under the Second Empire.

The construction is entrusted to Pierre-Auguste Labbé, a departmental architect already known for his works on the chapel of the Grand Séminaire and the Hotel des Soudes-Muettes. His plans, validated in 1860 after a public investigation, provided for a U-shaped building on the site of the former communal carousel, rue d'Aviau. The first stone was laid on May 11, 1862. The choice of land, expropriated to Mr Minvielle and Mr Machin, meets economic constraints, although a more visible location (angle rue d'Aviau/cours de Verdun) was initially envisaged. The building, completed in 1866, incorporates innovations such as a metal frame and cast iron doors to limit the risk of fire.

The neo-classical architecture of the building aims to impress, with a symmetrical facade of 17 meters high, decorated with Corinthian pilasters and windows in the middle of the hangar. The interior, organized on three levels, separates public spaces (vestibulum, reading room, library) from archival shops, located in the lateral wings. These stone vaults, illuminated by large windows, are designed to counter the humidity of the neighborhood, fearing for the preservation of documents. The central body houses the archivist and filing rooms, while 800 kg cast iron doors isolate the depots for security reasons.

As soon as it opened, the Archives Hotel was a pioneer: it was one of the first French buildings dedicated to this use, inspired by the archives of the Paris Court of Accounts (disappeared) and the Sainte-Geneviève library. Labbé incorporates radical fire-fighting measures (absence of wood, metal frame, circumscribed deposits) and spatial optimization (arest vaults, interior foothills). However, the saturation of spaces occurred after World War II, requiring adjustments in 1952 (metal scratches, microfilming workshop). The site is permanently closed to the public in 2010, replaced by a new building on the Balguerie-Stuttenberg course, but remains accessible during Heritage Days.

Included in the additional inventory of historical monuments since 1998, the hotel of the Gironde departmental archives illustrates the evolution of administrative needs and conservation techniques in the 19th century. Its architecture, combining classical rigour and technical innovations, makes it a rare testimony of the first French archival constructions. Today owned by the department, it retains a heritage value despite its functional decommissioning.

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