THE TOWNHOUSE. A PARISIAN AMBITION

Once it opens in summer 2015, the Cité de l’économie et de la monnaie will be hosted in the Hotel Gaillard, one of Paris’ most original townhouses. The Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine presented an exhibition on Parisian townhouses, until Febuary 19th, 2012.

The exhibition began with the presentation of several specific buildings (the Hotels of Cluny, Lambert, Thélusson, the Palais-Rose). The visitor was immersed in a townhouse thanks to the reconstruction of indoor and outdoor spaces, decorated as if the building was still occupied. The visitor then saw the evolutions undergone by several mansions, from the Middle Ages until the Belle Époque. An interactive Paris map presented photographs of various Parisian townhouses: the Hotel Gaillard appeared on Place du Général Catroux, in the 17th district. The exhib¬ition ended with a thematic presentation of the mansion, analyzed like an architectural object dealing with the idio-syncrasies of the Parisian landscape.

A few walks in Paris were proposed to the visitors, in order to allow them to discover these incredible monuments full-scale.

On the occasion of the exhibition, the book “Les hôtels particuliers de Paris, du Moyen Age a la Belle Epoque” (texts by Alexandre Gady, photographs by Gilles Targat) has been republished, in which several photographs of the Hotel Gaillard can be found. The magazine Connaissance des Arts has also dedicated a special issue to the exhibition, which also referred to the future headquarters of the Cité de l’économie et de la monnaie.

For more information, please visit the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine’s website

L’Hôtel particulier, une ambition parisienne par Cite-architecture

Bibliography (french)

Connaissance des arts - Magazine
L’hôtel particulier, une ambition parisienne