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Origin and history

The building, located at the corner of the islet between Wilson Square and Austerlitz Street in Toulouse, is a notable example of 19th-century neoclassical architecture. Built between 1824 and 1834 according to the plans of the municipal architect Jacques-Pascal Virebent, it is part of an extensive urban planning project aimed at modernizing the city. Its façade on Wilson Square alternates large arcades and rectangular openings, while the windows on the first floor are decorated with cornices and balusters. A headband crowns the ensemble, reflecting the aesthetic and symmetrical concern of the era.

On Austerlitz Street, the elevation, initially symmetrical, was changed after 1862, as evidenced by a road permit dated September 29 of that year. The associated plan, signed by a mysterious "E" (perhaps the architect Esquié), attests to these transformations. The building is part of a set of 27 buildings designed to border Wilson Square and the alleyways of President Roosevelt, illustrating the municipal ambition to create a harmonious urban setting. Its facades and roofs, including the return to Austerlitz Street, were inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 20 August 1974.

The building is distinguished by its architectural details, such as the bossed dorserets surrounding the central spans of the street of Austerlitz, or the balconies surmounted by ground cornices with denticles. These elements, typical of neoclassicism, emphasize the desire to combine commercial functionality (shop arcades on the ground floor) and residential elegance. The building thus embodies a pivotal period when Toulouse, in full expansion, refines its architectural identity between tradition and modernity.

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