We visited le quartier Passy in the 16th arrondissement where we met our guide Fabrice, a connoisseur of art nouveau and art deco. Through the quartier we saw the progression in architecture from Hausmanian to more curved and complex designs in buildings, both interior and exterior. Le style nouille (noodle style), as was dubbed art nouveau, soon turned into art deco, where more organic designs were incorporated, including plant stems and vines. In a hôtel particulier, we further saw the noodle style dominate in every aspect, including the lack of right angles in corners of rooms (as well as oval living and dining rooms) and light fixtures that curved like vines. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take any pictures of l’hôtel particulier to demonstrate the ever-present curve in every room. We ended the visit with Hôtel Guimard, designed by Hector Guimard himself, the most prominent advocate for art nouveau during that era. With this hotel, it is evident what Guimard aimed for in the art nouveau movement: incorporation of the organic into the inorganic.
Passy: art nouveau
