History of an unusual building: guided tour of the architecture of the Hotel des Douanes.

Looking up, getting as close as possible to the stones, this is what this guided tour for school children offers. Inspired by the resources that document the construction and layout of this former Hotel des Fermes, the tour will tell the story of the building’s layout.
Because architecture tells a story, contemplates it and deciphers it is essential.
Codified, it deserves to be examined to deliver its keys. Thus, the historical context of creation of the building allows to better understand it. Royal commission, or something close to it, the Hotel des Fermes du Roy has taken place two steps from the Garonne, at the entrance of the port of the city, junction between the river and the city. The mascarons and pediments that adorn the facades tell a tiny part of its story. Limestone architecture from the quarries located in a perimeter of 50 kilometers around Bordeaux, the work is cut according to the classical tradition inspired by Greco-Roman constructions. Built on three levels, the building consists of a set of architectural elements such as semicircular windows, columns and pilasters. They support two pediments laden with allegories (Mercury and Minerva). The inner courtyard has a fountain with «freezes», a name that designates the sculpted decoration proposed by the Flemish Jacques Verberckt. Finally, the mansard roofs alone illustrate the classical architectural style. The slates deposited here protect the magnificent and imposing Dutch oak and fir structures, some of which measure up to 60 cm wide.
If the architectural vocabulary is difficult to access, direct contact with the heritage is a guarantee of a better apprehension, for the young public as for the adults. It is for this immersion trip that students are invited, to know everything about this building, guided by the museum’s cultural mediator.