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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Aimé building, commonly known as Banque de la Société Générale, is a building located at 42-44 rue Saint-Dizier in Nancy, in Meurthe-et-Moselle (Grand Est region). Built in 1903 for the doctor Henri Aimé, it embodies Art Nouveau architecture, typical of the École de Nancy. Its designers, Georges Biet (architect) and Eugène Vallin (architect and cabinetmaker), signed the original plans, although Vallin changed the modeling of the bays and the decoration. The façade, lobby and roof have been listed as historical monuments since 1994.

As early as 1904, the building houses the Société Générale, which occupies the basement and ground floor, while its director moves to the third floor. Henri Aimé lived on the first floor until 1911, when the building was sold to a real estate company. In 1914, the bank completely restructures the premises, removing the window from the window room and masking the metal structure visible in the lobby. After World War II, the façade of the ground floor was denatured and partially restored in 1984 by Chanzy-Pardoux.

The building is distinguished by its apparent metal structure on the fifth level, where the central bays are surmounted by a metal arc resting on stone bases. This architectural detail, combined with its banking and residential history, makes it a major testimony to the heritage of the Netherlands and the influence of the School of Nancy in local urban planning.

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