PARIS – PLACE VENDÔME, THE PARISIAN CLASSICISM STYLE

DESCRIPTION – Paris: Place Vendôme district, the Parisian Classicism style

This architecture tour will take us around Place Vendôme district,  4th administrative district of Paris, situated in the 1st arrondissement.

Place Vendôme is in the heart of the luxurious Rive Droite district. It features outstanding classicism architecture and today it has become a legendary place. For the same reason, the surrounding district is also worth a visit.

We are going to walk into this old residential district built during the reign of Louis XIV. We will focus on Urbanism and Architecture, as we see French mansions, monumental perpectives and walk narrow streets remaining from old Paris.

This walk also offers a chance to talk about the great fashion designers and jewellers this district is known for, such as Georges Mauboussin, Paul Poiret, Frédéric Boucheron or Coco Chanel, who died at the Ritz hotel in 1971. It is said that she was inspired by the octagonal shape of the square for the famous Chanel Nº5 perfume.

Place Vendôme was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Louis XIV’s architect. The Sun King decided to build a large square on the site of the former residence of the Duke of Vendôme, surrounded by twelve public buildings (Royal Library, Royal School, Embassies, etc.). In the center there was a bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV, more than seven meters high which was destroyed in 1792.  The Column of Vendôme was built in 1810 on the ruins of the statue  and was modeled by the architects Jacques Gondouin and Jean-Baptiste Lepère Built on Rome Trajan’s columns, each column is spiral-shaped.

The square is surrounded by 28 unique buildings called hôtels particuliers, many of which have been designated historical landmarks and are now luxury properties.