Immeuble Duthoo, Art Nouveau revenue house in Tours, France
The Immeuble Duthoo comprises six connected residential buildings, each with its own entrance, arranged around an interior courtyard accessed through a double porch. The street-facing facades curve gracefully and display ornamental Art Nouveau details in their design.
Arthur Duthoo, owner of a major department store, commissioned architect Jean-Frédéric Wielhorski to design this residential complex between 1907 and 1910 to house his employees. The project represented a significant approach to worker housing in the city's early 20th century development.
The ceramic tiles by Gentil et Bourdet display brown, green, and blue tones across the facades, reflecting early 20th century French design tastes. Visitors walking past can see how these decorative elements shaped the visual identity of residential neighborhoods in this era.
The property can be viewed from the street, where visitors can see and photograph the double entrance and curved facades from outside. The interior courtyard is accessible if you gain entry, providing a quiet contrast to street-level activity.
The building combines Art Nouveau elements like stylized leaves and fruits with emerging geometric patterns characteristic of Art Deco. This blend marks a transitional moment when designers were shifting from organic to geometric forms in architectural decoration.
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