Gloria Mansions, Art Deco residential building in Baumettes district, Nice, France.
Gloria Mansions is a five-story residential building in Nice's Baumettes neighborhood with twelve street-level shops along its base. A grand entry hall with two passenger elevators and a separate service elevator connects the ten apartments on each floor and facilitates daily movement through the structure.
Built between 1932 and 1934 by Armenian architects Garabed Hovnanian and Kevork Arsenian, the construction was commissioned by Iranian promoter Joachim Nahapiet. This project represented the kind of ambitious residential development that shaped the French Riviera's building landscape during the interwar period.
The interior spaces feature seascapes rendered in stained glass windows, created by Lassale based on painter Mahokian's designs. These artistic details shape the look of the shared areas and show how art and residential life were connected during the 1930s.
The building sits in the Baumettes neighborhood and is easily reached from the street. Since it functions as both a residence and retail space, be aware that different areas may have varying access times depending on business hours.
Two concrete birds of prey perch at the top of the building, guarding it like figureheads; the source links them to the chrome-steel gargoyles of New York's Chrysler Building by William van Allen. The facade's wave effect comes from cylindrical balconies, some centred and some off-axis, meeting the vertical piers.
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