Where can I find Art
Nouveau-Jugendstil buildings?
I visited this house during the 2011 heritage day. Some private Art Nouveau buildings can be open to public from time to time thanks to the kindness of their owners.
This house is not often seen in Art Nouveau books wheras the overhanging metal is a fine example of Guimard's use of new materials
I have heard of
Art Nouveau
buildings and art on all 6 continents but most of
them are in Europe and in a smaller part in the United States. In
Europe, some countries were
literally covered by such architecture : in Belgium,
every medium to large town has its Art Nouveau buildings and rather
comprehensive architecture guides have been
published. Germany
seems to had as much Art Nouveau as Belgium but I have found less
information or studies
about it and it has been much more destroyed during WW2.
A first good approach to find Art Nouveau buildings is to browse a couple of books. There are different kinds of books in which you may find valuable information about Art Nouveau:
Art books
Tourist Guides
Heritage guides
Internet
Generalist Art books
Dedicated Art books about the
general subject of "Art Nouveau" are quite recent
regarding to books dealing with modernist style : it was only from the mid 70ies that Art Nouveau get back a few of interest and switched from a place of the last style of
the XIXth century to the first modern movement of XXth century. I would like to
point out four of them ordered by chronological publication dates :
1979
: " Art Nouveau architecture" by Frank Russel, identifies 11 countries
: Great Britain, Spain, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Switzerland,
Germany, Italy, Czech-Slovakia, Austria, United States.
1990
: "Art Nouveau" by Klaus Jürgen Sembach (editor: Taschen)
identifies 11 centers in 8 countries : Paris, Bruxelles, Nancy,
Barcelona,
Munich, Weimar, Darmstadt, Glasgow, Helsinki, Chicago and
Vienna.
1997
: "Art Nouveau" by Gabrielle Fahr-Becker identifies 16 centers
mixing tows and countries (11 countries) : United Kingdom, Glasgow,
Paris, Nancy,
Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Barcelona, Munchen, Darmstadt,
Berlin, Scandinavia, New York, Chicago and Vienna
2000
: "Art Nouveau 1890-1914" by Peter Greenhalgh edited in 2000 (editor :
V&A; Museum) illustrates the major exhibition
organized in London and the United States for the "centenary" of Art
Nouveau (or more precisely centenary of the turn of the century because
Art Nouveau may begin in the early 1890ies). The book presents 13
centers in 12 countries but the exhibition itself only treated of 9.
(Paris, Bruxelles,
Munich, Vienna, Glasgow, Chicago, Barcelona, Budapest, Prague,
Helsinki, Moscow, New York and Turin)
In this literature, some of the
main centers or countries are often ignored (Strasbourg, Den Haag,
Amsterdam,
Antwerpen, Gent, Riga, St Petersburg, Moscow ....) and some aspects of
Art Nouveau are completely occulted by this approach by centers :
seaside
or country architecture.
Even if seaside or country architecture reveal outstanding Art Nouveau
buildings, they are often left
apart. And one can wonder why does Riga does never appear in these
centers ? According to "UNESCO newsletter
#19", it is the
town with the
most important Art Nouveau heritage.
Generalist Tourist
Guides
As a general feature of touristic guides, the more
recent guide you have,
the more information about Art Nouveau you will get.
As tourists begin to be more
and more aware of and interested in Art Nouveau, guides include more
and more
data. Unlike generalist Art books, it is not seldom to find isolated
buildings of
interest but often the quality may be heterogeneous : some of the major
buildings may be omited. Is it a lack of methodology or a
lack of
comprehensive and accessible study ?
Michelin Tourism "Guides
Vert" included Art Nouveau in the Bruxelles
guide very lately. And the Italian guide (edition 2001) does not even
mention
even Stile Liberty in Milano,
nor Torino,
and only one building in Sicily. The guide dedicated to Sicily (edition
2003) gives some more information but only in Palermo. I have
noticed that, in general, the Michelin guides include less information
about Art Nouveau than the other guides.
Guide
Bleu soon included
some information. For instance many references to Jugendstil
in Germany
(edition 1991) but paradoxaly not in the big "centers" like Darmstadt
or Munchen.
Lonely Planet includes some
info about Art Nouveau (for instance Austria)
Gallimard
guides
: some infos about Art Nouveau.
Routard
guides : some good tips but heterogeneous.
Hachette
guides : perhaps
the best generalist guide to visit Art Nouveau in Vienna.
We shall notice that Tourist
Office make more and more efforts to give
information about these buildings as the interest for this kind of
architecture
rises.
Town Councils now often edit
small booklets or leaflets with their Art Nouveau sightseeings often
available from the tourist office (Nancy, Strasbourg,
Lille (Maison Coilliot only), Leiden, Den Haag, ...) but these guides
are often concentrated to the "really outstanding and great" Art
Nouveau buildings or Art Nouveau
building in the main touristic areas (often not in the
suburbs).
Heritage Guides
UNESCO : it has initiated a
project in the early 1990ies to develop knowledge and conservation
about Art Nouveau architecture : few booklets have been edited but I
have no information about what this project has become.
Heritage
Institutes of dedicated countries :
Dedicated to
Art Nouveau
: have a look for instance at the 3 volumes of "Nancy Architecture
1900" : this data comes from the French heritage institute but it
finally deals only with the school of Nancy and a part of the Art
Nouveau architecture of the town is not evoked.
Dedicated
to all periods
of architecture : it is often the case in France for more
little towns that have a smaller Art Nouveau heritage.
Fine Art Publications
dedicated to Art Nouveau architecture in a town. These books
are among those I prefer. Many examples can be given:
Nancy...
Nancy guides often leave out a large part of the Art Nouveau heritage
concentrating on the school of Nancy.
Barcelona
.. As for Barcelona, it is sometimes difficult to find books about a
larger subject than Gaudi.
Some books exist about modernism but there are still omissions of
buildings that are more in the international Art Nouveau style.
Architectural guides
Some
towns have a such
important architectural heritage that one or more architectural guides
are edited and one can find in them often very precise information
about Art Nouveau style among other periods : Paris, Torino ("26
Itinerari di Architectura a Torino"), ...
Other
guides are
dedicated to the Art Nouveau period such as "Riga, sur les traces de
l'Art Nouveau" by Janis Krastins (in French and Latvian) , "Cracow, Art
Nouveau" , "Prague
et l'Art Nouveau" by M Mitochova, J Kejr and J
Vsetecka (edited in French, German and English)
Heritage Institutions are also
developing publication of comprehensive
studies about this architecture. These publications are often
of difficult
access (not in Library or often out of stock).
Internet
You may find the best and also
numerous mistakes. It is better to speak (well
in fact read) many languages and have a good level in "Google
searching"
to collect
first hand information. Plenty of free but time-greedy information.
Sometimes
some errors but not so much. See the related
links page.
This
map is a digest of the main Art Nouveau centers in Europe that I have
compiled. By "main", I mean mors than 50 buildings of interest or a
decorative art school that counted in the Art Nouveau movement. Despite
all the efforts I made, there could still be omited centers, please let
me know.
But
even visiting all these sites you may pass away outstantanding Art
Nouveau buildings.
Why not go out of the beaten
tracks now and discover numerous other marvels?
In order to understand the wide
spread diffusion of Art Nouveau architecture, we have to recall the
main factors
of development for an architecture style at such a large scale : the
primary factor is
information and interest about this style (magazines like "Jugend",
art studies and commercial trips, international exhibitions like world
fairs). This has been combined to rural
exodus and an important wealthiness (belle époque) that were
at
their climax
in
Europe. These explain the
numerous constructions and their quality.
If we would like to gain chance our search of the unknown
marvel,
we must go back to basic principles of factors that develop
construction.We should
also take into account destruction factors : interest in this type of
architecture,
adaptation to nowadays life, wars...
Construction factors :
- In large towns areas : Housing needs, regulation, money
:
These 3 factors come as a
whole because they are tightly interconnected : law that allowed most
major towns in Europe to find new fields outside the ancient town walls
around 1880. This often kept some place free around 1900 to build some
times entire Art Nouveau quaters (see Cogels Osylei in Antwerpen or the
16th arrondissement in Paris...).
Housing needs that come together
with the rural
exodus and the need of workers for the first and second industrial
revolutions. Money that also come from the industry and commerce
wealth, this
money allows the construction of important architectural projects from
master houses to low cost and hygienic buildings
or specific buildings like shops, hotels, restaurants, .... In the case
of Nancy : these
factors were enhanced by
exodus from the Alsace-Lorraine lately (1870) incorporated in Germany.
A large
part of the population have chosen to emigrate to Nancy to stay
French. Identifing the old place of the walls (often a large boulevard
today) will help you to identify quaters that were built at the turn of
the century.
- In country and sea side areas: Leisure needs and Fashion
:
- Sea side residences :
Seaside was not a leisure destination before 1850. In France the real
launch of these
destinations was made by Imperatrice Eugenie (wife of Napoleon III) :
Biarritz. We can find Art Nouveau in the seaside residences that grew
at that time due to a change of fashion or government : Deauville
has no Art Nouveau neither because in 1895 a muddy tide cover the sea
strand with mud and its horrible smell. And it was only in 1905 that
the mayor found a solution to avoid these problems installing the
large wooden sea stride that made its reputation in the 20ies. But
there are sea side stations that
developed at that
time like Hermanville, Mers les bains (a small French Cogels
Osylei)
- Country villas : they are
difficult to identify because they are often isolated in the
countryside. Castels by Guimard can be set into this category : Morsan
sur orge, Bièvres, Sèvres, .....
- Bath residences : Also
developed after 1850 under impluse of Eugénie in France
(Eugenie les Bains),
it developed as well in the rest of Europe : Baden baden, Vichy...
- Special types of building needs :
chemists : Barcelona,
Douvres La Delivrande, Commercy, Munich
bakeries
: numerous in many towns (Barcelona, Paris, ...)
hotels
and
restaurants,
maisons du peuple
underground : this new mean
of public transportation the Metropolitain in Paris in 1900 by Guimard,
the underground in Vienna in 1902 by Wagner.
department
stores : in
Harrod's in London , La Samaritaine in Paris, Grand Bazar Anspach in
Bruxelles... with new building materials : iron and glass : Barcelona,
Paris, Bruxelles, Germany
- reconstruction after Earthquakes and fires
:
Ljubljana and
Aalesund. Ljubliana (today Slovenian capital) was completely destroyed
by an
earthquake in 1905. Its reconstruction was directed by Art Nouveau
architects.
Aalesund (Norway) was destroyed by a fire in 1904 and was reconstructed
by Art
Nouveau architects. Those two places are nowadays with an important
homogenous
heritage of late Art Nouveau buildings.
- Law & regulation :
Casinos were authorized in
France only after 1907, that is why you won't find any Casino in France
in early Art Nouveau style.
France : Law of
separation
of the church and state in 1905 : the new way of financing churches and
the violent anti religious mind at that time explains why very few
churches where built at that time.
Paris : urban
regulation : The Stepped House by Henri Sauvage in 1912 had lots of
difficulties to get authorisations. For healthy reasons (sunny
enlightement), streets width was related to building height but
introducing such a new type of building was not forseen by this
regulation which caused financial problems to introduce this new type
of building (the space freed by the steps could not be take back on the
street).
- Style diffusion :
in Greece and other continents except North America
and Europe, Art Nouveau buildings
are often built later than in its original centers. It is not rare to
find typical Art Nouveau buildings
built in 1920 in these regions also these types of buildings were no
more built in the original centers.
Style diffusion is due to the art magazines like "Jugend" that give its
name to the Jugendstil or "L'architecture
au XXeme siècle" that was published in three languages :
German, French
and English!! Its aim is clearly
a spread of new ways of building in every country. It is also due to
World Fairs (1900 : Paris, 1904 : St Louis, ...) and Decorative Arts
Exhibitions (1902 : Turin, ...).
Industrial and commercial relationships are also a factor in the
diffusion of Art Nouveau :
Stoclet Palace in
Bruxelles. Hotels are a
window of the local Art of building, art of life....
But there were very few of real international careers except for H. Van
de Velde,
A. Mucha and in a fewer way Olbrich,
Gallé-Majorelle
(interior design) or CR
Mackintosh.
Destruction factors :
Architectural Heritage policy
and general interest :
Architectural Heritage
policies began to
include Art Nouveau in their programs at the end of the 60ies in Europe
: 1964 for the first buildings of Guimard
in Paris, 1969 for the first buildings by Gaudi but 1974-76 for the
other major Art Nouveau architects in Barcelona, 1972 for the first
buildings of Wagner in Vienna, 1975 for the first buildings by Horta in
Bruxelles,
for Strasbourg and Nancy). Salvador Dali and surrealists like P Eluard
recognize the strength of this architecture before the critics did.
This architecture
has been recognized of heritage interest lately regarding to
20ies-40ies
modern architecture which was often protected earlier (Adolph Loos, Le
Corbusier, ...).
Even though important
buildings are still being threatened like a Hamesse building (120
avenue
Tervueren in Bruxelles) despite of a petition in 2001. Books about
Art Nouveau for a large public were published in the mid 70ies ("L'Art
Nouveau" by Roger Henri Guerrand).
The lack of interest in Art Nouveau style was very early, these houses
were
major AN buildings and were destroyed with human will :
Guimard : Salle Humbert de
Romans which was
destroyed in 1906.
Guimard : The most
important
and outstanding buildings of Paris Metropolitain : the Metro Stations
of Bastille and Etoile which were destroyed in 1962 (and not even sent
to a museum). Three years later, 2 stations, of fewer importance were
listed to the heritage! We must note that in y2k, for the centenary of
the Metro, a covered Metro Station (of Abbesse type) was reconstructed
at the Chatelet Station)! Times are changing.
Paris
refused to create a
museum dedicated to Guimard, the most well-known French Art Nouveau
architect, in the late forties despite the efforts of the widow of
Guimard.
Horta : Palais du Peuple. A
really major work by Horta destroyed in 1962.
The lack of knowledge and acknowledgment of this
architecture also
conduct to a deficient reconstruction
or restoration of buildings. Even after a better knowledge, the price
factor, is still a brake to a
good restoration of even outstanding buildings. Here is an example of a
group of three building in
Scheveningen (Den Haag,
The Netherlands) : these buildings were similar only
small details of the roof and railings differed from one to the other
and constituted a fine ensemble. Nowadays (photos in 2002), we can see
that
the 3 buildings have been transformed but at different levels
: successive transformations often occur due to a
disinterest or lack of money. The owner of the house on the right
is trying to restore his house (bought in 2000) in the Art Nouveau
style and especially the balcony.
It
had been a nice group of three twin houses with slight
variations.
On the left building, the pinnacle have
disapeared. The balcony and the veranda wood work have been preserved
except the lower part which is now replaced by flat white panels.
All three entries have been preserved. but on the central and
right building, the balconies and veranda have been modified.
Shops : in many
towns, most of
the shop windows were designed in Art Nouveau
style, the change of fashion, made these windows very often destroyed.
There are
not many Art Nouveau shop windows left.
Wars :
In Europe, world war II has the
most important impact especially in Germany where some
towns have been nearly completely destroyed by bombings (Dresden,
Berlin, ...)
and some have miraculously be spared (like Paris). The example of
Dresden is interesting : the town was
destroyed at a 80% rate (firing bombs that killed and destroyed
everything) and
there are still nowdays more than 100 Art Nouveau buildings of great
quality!
Some residential Art Nouveau areas were not in the economic centers and
were
spared but often the railway station quater has or had many Art Nouveau
buildings like in Tourcoing (north of France) and these stations were
targets
for the RAF.
World War 1 had also an
important role in northern France : in Lille in 1911
there were a total of 34000 houses, after WW 1, 30% were destroyed and
another 30% was
severely damaged.
Reconstruction plans often don't take into interest Art Nouveau
buildings that were of a poor interest
after 1914 and some towns took this opportunity to modify their
urbanism plan and destroy partly
what was still up to remodel streets and avenues (in France, a law even
obliged towns to do so). Lille
also suffered from WW II, 6000 houses were destroyed mainly close to
the railway stations (the RAF tried
to use the first "surgery" bombings that still killed more than a 1000
people despite of the shelters).
The more recent Crotian war more recently may have also destroyed Art
Nouveau buildings.
Adaptation to nowadays life
Adaptation is not easy as for
the Department Stores which security rules have
change in a large scale forbidding the large hall in the middle,
hosting the
stairway, that where used to let the light come on all floors and the
security
that require separated floors to avoid fire extension (the closure for
6 years
of the parisian store "La Samaritaine" is an other example). The way of
building
housing buildings has also dramatically changed in its plan : before
the use of
elevators (invention in the late 1870ies), the first floor was
the master floor (see for instance the casa Batllo) and now the last
floor is
the most important (more light, more sun). The kitchen is also a place
that
evolved much with the invention of electrical devices.
So now you are ready to find the marvel-that-no-one-knows-about-but-you-and-a-happy-few : enjoy.
I have selected these few examples of Art Nouveau buildings outside the
major centers. Fill free to help me to enhance this section with your
pictures.
Strolling around in France
This house was found by my mother in law. 3 or 4 houses in Pau deserve
the interest of an Art Nouveau lover.
This
shop window in wood shows sunflowers. The artist is
unknown. It was listed as heritage monument in 1972 which is rather early for Art Nouveau buildings in
France, if you remember that the main Guimard's metro station were destroyed in 1969.
This
door is part of a nice facade. I have founded it during a
professional trip but I had no camera with me. It is only years later
that I could take pictures of it. It is listed as a heritage monument.
Greber was an Art Nouveau ceramist. This is his workshop and home. The
facade is a window to his skill including numerous elements in stoneware
and bas relief showing the work of ceramists.
Peugeot is one of the major French car manufacturer. This house is a
mix of Art Nouveau and traditional buildings. It is built just in front
of the railway station. Lot's of Art Nouveau buildings are built in the
neighborhoods of stations as these area where open to construction at
that time.
This building is not part of the "Ecole de Nancy", so you
won't find it on leaflets, books or tourist guide about Nancy Art Nouveau!
This
is the town hall of Euville, a little town west of Nancy, built by
Nancean Art Nouveau artists with a global Art Nouveau decoration
including stain glasses. Euville was famous at that time for its white
stone quarry. Stone that is used in most of "Ecole de Nancy"
buildings and in this one. It is one of the very few official building
in France built in an Art Nouveau style.
I have found this building when I was lost in Paris neighborhood. I
don't find it very beautiful but it can be classed in the "eatable
architecture" after the word of Salvador Dali describing Art Nouveau architecture. Be careful when driving behind my car, I
can stop at any moment in front of a nice building!!
Guimard's buildings out of Paris
Our steps in the steps
of Guimard, lead us out of Paris to discover some of the best Art
Nouveau buildings in France.
These two buildings are global work of art.
Some books about Guimard do not even show any picture (or interest?) of
this nice seaside villa.
It is sometimes possible to
visit the Coilliot House on Heritage Day but I didn't got that chance.
Coilliot was a ceramist and the facade, entirely in ceramic, is a
window to his art.
Strolling around in Italy
The villa Bernasconi is a global work of art. Its decoration recalls the silk
factory owned by its owner (butterflies and blackberry bush
leaves). The stain
glasses still remain. I wasn't able to visit this villa but it should
be possible as it is now the place for concerts.
Strolling around in Belgium
Is there a town in Belgium that does not have its Art Nouveau building? Enjoy
this few pictures.
This is a nice example of Art Nouveau in office buildings.
This building has been marvelously restored to its original colors.
Every detail is Art Nouveau.
Nice composition for this door that include the typical circle shape.
Strauven's typical shapes, he is one of my favorite architects.
Strolling elsewhere
This building was in a poor state when I saw it despite of its
marvelous formal work.
A church that recalls the Sagrada Familia (passion facade)
The architect, Jujol was working also for Gaudi for the ceramics. This building is amazing.
The bibendum building which is built more in Art Déco style
is wrapped with tiles panels in Art Nouveau style, showing races from the
beginning of the century.
Codorniu cave is a large complex of buildings with fine Art Nouveau
(modernist) shapes and ceramics..
This house is located in Barcelona, one of the greatest center of Art
Nouveau. But it as some other building that are more inspired by
European Art Nouveau than local modernismo, you won't find it on any
guide.
There are several interesting brick buildings in this village which is
not far from the crypt Güell (by Gaudi).
This
hotel is a very nice piece of Art Nouveau. Klagenfurt
has a dozen of very good Art Nouveau buildings.
RSS
It
had been a nice group of three twin houses with slight
variations. 
