Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The villa La Sapinière, located in Hermanville-sur-Mer in Calvados, is a unique achievement by architect Hector Guimard, known for being his only collective work dedicated to the resort. Built in 1899 for the Parisian Jean-Auguste Barthélémy, it is distinguished by its Art Nouveau style and its strategic location close to the seafront, at the corner of the streets of Pre-de-Isle and the Ombres. The building, originally designed with shops on the ground floor and rental apartments on the floors, reflects a bold architecture combining bricks, coated, stones and pebbles, animated by sets of lines and colors.

The facades and roofs of La Sapinière, as well as the base of the soils of its plot, were listed as historic monuments on December 21, 2015, recognizing its heritage value. The building, built on cellars with three levels including a basement, has a concave square structure, marked by missing bowl-windows and balconies modified over time. At the back, a concrete passageway and staircase, added later, contrast with the original elements such as pebbles, evoking the Normandy coastline.

The Sapinière is part of the seaside landscape of the late 19th century, when Hermanville-sur-Mer, like other resorts on the Normandy coast, attracted a Parisian bourgeoisie in search of secondary residences. Its architecture, although partially altered (disappearance of original carpentry and wooden balcony), still bears witness to Guimard's ingenuity, mixing functionality and aesthetics. The villa also marks the western boundary of the municipality, on the border with Lion-sur-Mer, highlighting its role in the seaside urbanization of the region.

Sponsored by Jean-Auguste Barthélémy, a Parisian figure whose motivations remain little documented in the sources, La Sapinière illustrates the enthusiasm for Norman seaside resorts at a time when the railway facilitates travel. Its recent listing among historical monuments (2015) attests to the rediscovery and late preservation of this Art Nouveau heritage, often unknown apart from Guimard's Parisian achievements, such as the famous metro entrances.

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