Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Bergeret building, located 24 rue Lionnois in Nancy, was commissioned in 1901 by Albert Bergeret, printer and founder of the East Artistic Printing. The architect Lucien Weissenburger first conceived the plans of the factory (1901-1902), then those of the adjoining house in 1903. The decoration works, entrusted to exceptional artisans such as Louis Majorelle (ferroneries, fireplace of the living room) or Eugene Vallin ( cabinetmaking, ceilings), were completed in 1905. The building illustrates the alliance between industry and art, characteristic of the École de Nancy, with glass windows signed by Jacques Gruber and Joseph Janin, and a fresco by Victor Prouvé (now disappeared).

The house, classified as Historic Monument in 1996, underwent major transformations after 1936, the date of the closure of the printing house. Repurchased by the state in 1946, the ensemble lost part of its original decor: destruction of the Vallin chimneys, disappearance of glass windows (including the Roses and Gulls windows in the lobby), and suppression of the terrace on the first floor. The restorations of the 1990s partially rediscovered the ground floor spaces, but many elements (such as the Prouvé canvas or the original gate) remain lost or displaced.

Albert Bergeret (1859-1932), the prime contractor, embodied the entrepreneurship spirit of the period. His project brings together the major figures of Art Nouveau local: Weissenburger for architecture, Majorelle and Vallin for furniture and ironwork, Gruber and Janin for stained glass. These collaborations reflect the desire to create a coherent set, where every detail — from glass bricks from the winter garden to carved chimneys — serves an innovative aesthetic. The building thus bears witness to Nancy's golden age as capital of decorative arts.

The technique used, like hollow glass bricks for the winter garden, reveals a search for modernity. Local artisans, often trained at the École de Nancy, experiment with new materials and forms. After its nationalization, the building has administrative uses, affecting its integrity. Today, it remains a symbol of the industrial and artistic heritage of Lorraine, despite the losses suffered in the twentieth century.

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