Villa Majorelle

Between 1890 and 1910, Art Nouveau spread across Europe, producing buildings that combined craft traditions with industrial techniques through organic forms, natural motifs, and detailed ornamental work. Architects including Victor Horta in Brussels, Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona, and Otto Wagner in Vienna designed structures that departed from historical revival styles, instead emphasizing curved lines, wrought iron elements, and colored glass. The movement encompassed concert halls and railway stations as well as private homes and commercial facades, creating a body of work that remains central to the architectural identity of several European cities. Visitors can trace this development through multiple locations. Brussels offers the Victor Horta Museum, Tassel House, and Hôtel van Eetvelde as prime examples of the Belgian variant. Barcelona showcases Gaudí's Casa Batlló and Bellesguard alongside the Palau de la Musica Catalana with its elaborate tilework. Paris preserves Hector Guimard's Métropolitain entrances and the Lavirotte Building, while Prague presents the Municipal House and the Bedřich Smetana Museum. Nancy serves as a center of French Art Nouveau with the School Museum and Villa Majorelle, and Budapest displays the style through Gresham Palace and the Liszt Academy of Music. From Riga to Turin, Vienna to Belgrade, these buildings document a brief but influential period when architects reshaped urban environments across the continent.

Nancy presents an architectural range spanning from the medieval Porte de la Craffe to the ornamented facades of the Art Nouveau era. The city served as a center for the Art Nouveau movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, evident in structures such as Villa Majorelle and Maison Weissenburger. Beyond these decorative residences, buildings like the Palais du Gouvernement and Palais Ducal document the political and dynastic history of Lorraine, while religious structures including Basilique Saint-Epvre and Chapelle Ducale represent the region's spiritual architecture. The city spreads across several historic districts with distinct visual characteristics. Place de la Carrière and surrounding streets such as Rue des Maréchaux and Rue Félix-Faure demonstrate classical and Baroque urban planning with symmetrical facades and uniform design. The Quartier des Trois Maisons preserves medieval elements, while Cours Léopold presents wider boulevards and neoclassical structures. Public spaces such as the Marché Couvert offer everyday scenes within architectural frameworks dating to the 19th century. Green spaces provide contrast to the urban density. Parc de la Pépinière extends across 52 acres (21 hectares) in the city center, combining formal gardens with wooded paths. Jardin Dominique Alexandre Godron displays botanical collections adjacent to the Musée-Aquarium de Nancy. Smaller parks like Parc de la Cure d'Air and Parc Olry offer elevated vantage points over the cityscape. The Quai Sainte-Catherine along the canal connects waterways with historic infrastructure, creating linear compositions along the waterfront.