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Origin and history

This apartment building, built in 1905 by architect Paul Noulin-Lespès for the judge at the commercial court Mr Preynat, occupies a corner plot between rue des Martyrs-de-Vingré, rue Michelet and avenue de la Libération. Its architecture reflects the Haussmannian influence with a reinforced concrete frame and an exuberant decoration of cast concrete in an Art Nouveau style. The facades have a basement, two square floors and two attic floors under a broken slate roof, while the corners are marked by rounded bowlows crowned with bulb roofs.

The building symbolizes Saint-Étienne's urban growth at the beginning of the 20th century, linked to the drilling of Faure Avenue (now Avenue de la Libération). Ordered by a wealthy merchant, it illustrates local economic prosperity and the adoption of modern techniques such as reinforced concrete. The facades and roofs, protected since 1994, have recently been restored under the direction of the Bâtiments de France, allowing the restitution of the original decorative elements, including the carved pinacles with lion heads.

A second source mentions a construction in 1907 by municipal engineer Joanny Morin for Preynat-Seauve, suggesting a possible evolution of the project or confusion in the archives. The building remains an exceptional testimony of Stéphanois Art Nouveau, combining structural innovation and floral ornaments characteristic of the movement. Its strategic location, at the angle of three major routes, reinforces its role in the urban landscape of the time.

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