The Haussmann building Haussmann's renovation of Paris

place saint-georges.



boulevard haussmann, lined typical haussmann buildings.

the famous , recognizable feature of haussmann s renovation of paris haussmann apartment buildings line boulevards of paris. street blocks designed homogeneous architectural wholes. treated buildings not independent structures, pieces of unified urban landscape.

in 18th-century paris, buildings narrow (often 6 meters wide); deep (sometimes forty meters) , tall—as many 5 or 6 stories. ground floor contained shop, , shopkeeper lived in rooms above shop. upper floors occupied families; top floor, under roof, storage place, under pressure of growing population, turned low-cost residence. in 19th century, before haussmann, height of buildings strictly limited 22.41 meters, or 4 floors above ground floor. city began see demographic shift; wealthier families began moving western neighborhoods, partly because there more space, , partly because prevailing winds carried smoke new factories in paris toward east.

in haussmann s paris, streets became wider, growing average of twelve meters wide twenty-four meters, , in new arrondissements, eighteen meters wide.

the interiors of buildings left owners of buildings, façades strictly regulated, ensure same height, color, material, , general design, , harmonious when seen together.

the reconstruction of rue de rivoli model rest of paris boulevards. new apartment buildings followed same general plan:

ground floor , basement thick, load-bearing walls, fronts parallel street. occupied shops or offices.
mezzanine or entresol intermediate level, low ceilings; used shops or offices.
second, piano nobile floor balcony. floor, in days before elevators common, desirable floor, , had largest , best apartments.
third , fourth floors in same style less elaborate stonework around windows, lacking balconies.
fifth floor single, continuous, undecorated balcony.
mansard roof, angled @ 45°, garret rooms , dormer windows. floor occupied lower-income tenants, time , higher rents came occupied exclusively concierges , servants of people in apartments below.

the haussmann façade organized around horizontal lines continued 1 building next: balconies , cornices aligned without noticeable alcoves or projections, @ risk of uniformity of quarters. rue de rivoli served model entire network of new parisian boulevards. building façades, technological progress of stone sawing , (steam) transportation allowed use of massive stone blocks instead of simple stone facing. street-side result monumental effect exempted buildings dependence on decoration; sculpture , other elaborate stonework not become widespread until end of century.

before haussmann, buildings in paris made of brick or wood , covered plaster. haussmann required buildings along new boulevards either built or faced cut stone, local cream-colored lutetian limestone, gave more harmony appearance of boulevards. required, using decree 1852, facades of buildings regularly maintained, repainted, or cleaned, @ least every ten years. under threat of fine of 1 hundred francs.