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Origin and history

The building located at the 4 quai Richelieu in Bordeaux is part of the urban project of creating a homogeneous facade along the quays of the Garonne, initiated in the eighteenth century. This project, carried by intendant Claude Boucher as early as 1746, aimed to structure the riparian space with a uniform architectural ordinance, combining ground floor with arcades, noble floors and attices at the Mansard. The arches in the middle of the hang, highlighted by slits and sculptures, as well as the wrought iron balconies (partly missing), testify to this aesthetic and functional bias.

In 1729, the architect Jacques Gabriel proposed three projects for the docks, before realizing that of the Customs in 1731. On the death of Boucher, his successor, Aubert de Tourny, revived the construction site in 1748 with Ange-Jacques Gabriel, son of Jacques. The monumental perspective thus created extends the Place Royale (now Place de la Bourse), offering a visual unity between the river and the heart of the city. The facades, although modified by the installation of shops on the ground floor, retain their original frames and larmies, preserving their historical character.

The building, whose facade and roof have been protected since 1951, illustrates the legacy of the major urban developments of the Enlightenment in Bordeaux. Its architecture reflects the aesthetic and political ambitions of the time, mixing port functionality (stores on the ground floor) and monumental prestige. The stone skylights and sculpted details recall the influence of Parisian models, adapted to the Bordeaux context.

The location of the building, at the corner of the Richelieu wharf and the rue du quai Bourgeois, makes it a key element in aligning the facades along the Garonne. This project, although partially altered by later transformations, remains a major testimony of the Bordeaux urban planning of the eighteenth century, marked by the desire to modernise and embellish the city.

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