Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Companion-type skylight house, located 72 rue de la Gare in Châteauroux, was built in 1871 by the Companion Charpentier Hippolyte Moreau, known as Berry-la-Conscience (1822–1900). This monument illustrates its know-how acquired during its Tour de France, with a central skylight in the shape of a triple capucine: a square tower with a roof in the pavilion, surrounded by attices of various shapes (pyramides, domes, cones). The slate blankets, originally adorned with scale or tip motifs, carried the Companion currencies U.V.G.T. (Union, Vertu, Geometry, Labour) and Honor aux Arts.

Associated with his son-in-law Armand Viraud, a public works contractor, Moreau had participated in the major Castelrous shipyards of the 1870s–90s. The rue de la Gare, opened in 1873, was home to three of his achievements (nos 12, 50–58 and 72), where they served as signs for his company. The '72 skylight', classified as Historic Monument in 1999, synthesizes the technical fantasies of the carpenter: penetration volumes, roof heads, and a decorative research partially altered by subsequent restorations.

The work embodies an artistic will: Moreau concentrates his mastery of the Trait (geometric trace of the frames), learned during his companionship. The facades and roofs, protected since 1999, bear witness to the influence of the Companions du Devoir in local architecture, combining functionality (family housing) and demonstration of virtuosity. The precision of the assemblages and the diversity of the forms (dome, conical attices) make this a rare example of 19th century scholarly crafts, linked to the urban changes of Châteauroux.

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