Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

The building located 5 rue du Lycée in Châlons-en-Champagne is a typical example of 16th century civil architecture. Its street façade is distinguished by a ground floor in limestone (stone of Savonnières), while the square floor alternates bricks, chalk and stone. The basement has a seating unit alternating bricks and chalk. The two levels are separated by a frieze, and the ground floor is marked by a prominent banner. The windows of the square floor, with ground frames, saw their support lowered, and their bays alternate in width with those of the ground floor. The roof, with long strips and covered rump, rests on a modillon cornice.

The building of this house dates back to the 16th century, when Châlons-en-Champagne, then Châlons-sur-Marne, was a prosperous town in the Champagne region. Its architecture reflects local techniques and materials, such as Savonnières stone or chalk, commonly used in the region. Purchased by the city in 1972, it was preserved for its heritage interest, with official protection of its facade and roof by order of 8 August 1973. Today, it houses meeting rooms, illustrating an adaptive reuse of historical heritage.

The facade and roof, classified as an inventory of Historic Monuments, reflect the evolution of Renaissance architectural styles in Champagne. The use of a variety of materials (calcareous, brick, chalk) and their arrangement as alternate seats highlight the know-how of the artisans of the time. The modillon cornice and the mouldings of the windows add a decorative dimension, characteristic of bourgeois or urban dwellings of this period. The absence of major modifications since its construction makes it a rare and well preserved specimen.

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