Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Huot houses are an iconic architectural ensemble of the École de Nancy, a major artistic movement of Art Nouveau in Lorraine. Built in 1903 by architect Émile André for the annuitant Frédéric Huot, these two twin houses, located at numbers 92 and 92bis of the Claude-le-Lorrain wharf, combine neo-Gothic and neo-Baroque influences. Their asymmetrical facade and ceramic details reflect the aesthetic innovation of the time, while evoking a reinterpreted medieval heritage. Although conceived as a coherent set, they differ in size and interior layout, revealing a personalized approach despite their visual unity.

The cochère door, the wooden balcony and the ceramic bays of the 92bis, as well as the glass windows signed Jacques Gruber, highlight the attention paid to the decorative arts. The houses were listed as historic monuments in 1994 for their facade and roof, recognizing their heritage value. Their construction involved local artisans, such as entrepreneur Alexis Gény, whose signature and date (1903) are visible on the facade of the 92bis. These elements demonstrate close collaboration between architects, artisans and sponsors, characteristic of the École de Nancy.

Frédéric Huot, the house sponsor, belonged to the nean bourgeoisie, a social class that played a key role in the artistic patronage of the region at the turn of the 20th century. The architect Émile André, a major figure of the Art Nouveau Lorrain, experimented with hybrid forms, between modernity and historical references. Huot houses thus embody a period of architectural transition, where technical innovation dialogued with an eclectic stylistic heritage, while enrolling in the urban renewal of Nancy, then capital of the decorative arts in France.

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