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La maison Tournesol
Listed or registered (CNMHS), Art nouveau or art deco, Civic building
in Douai
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It is easy to understand why it is called ‘la Maison Tournesol’, the Sunflower House: its façade is formed from the yellow-petalled flowers. This is the eccentricity and inventiveness of Art Nouveau. It was in response to excessive industrialisation that, at the end of the 19th century, architects reinvented building models by taking inspiration from nature: spontaneous forms, bright colours, asymmetrical facades, varied materials, etc. In 1906-1907, Albert Pèpe placed this Sunflower façade...
It is easy to understand why it is called ‘la Maison Tournesol’, the Sunflower House: its façade is formed from the yellow-petalled flowers. This is the eccentricity and inventiveness of Art Nouveau. It was in response to excessive industrialisation that, at the end of the 19th century, architects reinvented building models by taking inspiration from nature: spontaneous forms, bright colours, asymmetrical facades, varied materials, etc. In 1906-1907, Albert Pèpe placed this Sunflower façade on an 18th century building: the stems of the sunflowers curl up to form the door and enclose the shop window. The strength of these curves and counter-curves explains why the detractors of Art Nouveau called this style the ‘noodle’ style!
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