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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 2 rue Royale in Orléans was built between 1752 and 1760 under the direction of Hupeau, as part of an urban project to create a monumental south entrance for the city. It is part of a symmetrical architectural complex, with another identical house, both decorated with tympanum pediments resting on Corinthian capitals. These buildings, characterized by four classical pilasters, mark a stylistic transition between baroque and neoclassicism.

The lower floor, treated in bossing, is pierced by arcades on Rue Royale, while the first floor features curved windows framed with mouldings and flat paintings. The second floor, more sober, adopts attic windows, and the attic is illuminated by two stone windows with rounded entrapments. These details reflect a search for harmony and proportion, typical of 18th century civil architecture.

Classified as a Historic Monument in 1925 for its facade on dock and roof, this house bears witness to the ambitious urban planning of Orleans under the Old Regime. Its integration into a coherent whole, including the buildings on Rue Royale, underscores its role in the beautification of the city and the enhancement of its accesses. The precision of decorative elements, such as pilasters and capitals, reveals the influence of ancient models revisited by the French architects of the period.

The architect Hupeau, the project manager, designed these buildings in connection with a global vision of Rue Royale, intended to become a prestigious axis. Although the sources do not specify its full course, its work in Orleans is part of a period of architectural renewal, where local sponsors – probably notables or the municipality – sought to modernize the image of the city. The inscription of the Historical Monuments in 1925 preserved these facades, symbols of a rare urban heritage.

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