VILLA DU DOCTEUR MAIREVILLA DU DOCTEUR MAIRE
©VILLA DU DOCTEUR MAIRE|Cindy Michaud
PARENTHESES

GOTHIC

Samuel Henriquet (1848-1921)

Samuel Henriquet, could have shone in the firmament of literature or architecture if his future had not been thwarted by an apathetic reaction of his readers and by his inability to clearly manage his professional commitments as an architect. An ambiguous character, whose architectural work of neo-gothic inspiration does not leave to surprise. From his time in Vichy remains the trace of a neo-gothic architecture which, if it does not stand out in the abundance of styles of the city, remains no less surprising.

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the protestant temple

10, rue Max Durand-Fardel

Financed in part by the British community of curists who frequented Vichy, the temple on rue Durand-Fardel takes up the codes of the Anglican temple and in particular the perpendicular Gothic style which did not exist in France. One can recognize this style by the almost flat vaults supported by ribbed columns in the form of a fan. Inside, nothing should disturb the quest of the faithful. No majestic altars, but a pulpit.

With no other decoration than the gospels of Mark (love of one’s neighbor) and John (the grace of God), it overhangs a simple wooden table holding the gospels, the bread of communion and an empty cross. This cross no longer carries the body of Christ. He is risen…

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The house of Doctor Maire

11, quai d'Allier

Is it due to its location, its imposing silhouette or this very particular style, the fact is that La villa du Docteur Maire is an emblem of the city. Built in 1911, this large neo-gothic inspired villa located on the banks of the Allier, near the Rotonde, is distinguished by its spectacular architectural elements. Six stories high, the Villa du Docteur Maire is built on a trapezoidal plan and presents a great variety of historical styles, both in the bays and the loggias. Its corner tower (quai d’Allier and rue du Golf), equipped with a machicolated walkway under a crown, illustrates this eclecticism. Inside, an exuberant decoration composed of an immense chimney decorated with almond green acanthus leaves and golden snails, constitutes the mark of a great open-mindedness. To the antitheses of the rectilinear forms that marked the architecture of the pre-war period, the villa of Doctor Maire could have inspired the unbridled style of contemporary architectures.

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