The Bruno Schmidt house

This remarkable house was built by architect Jean-Baptiste Dewin at the request of Bruno Schmidt, an engineer from the École des Arts et Manufactures. Dewin designed it in a very personal style, down to the last detail. It is a highly sophisticated total work of art, of the kind designed by the great architects of this period.

EXTERIOR

This façade is characteristic of Dewin’s highly personal and innovative style: understated and featuring light materials (white stone and white bricks), its rhythm is linear and simple. Only the cornices with fine modillions, the mosaics and the coloured stained glass windows disrupt the austerity central to this composition.

The mosaics are remarkable, alternating between geometric motifs and a bestiary consisting of stylised insects (bees and dragonflies) and birds (storks and falcons). They can also be found in the ironwork and the stained glass windows. The falcon may represent the Egyptian deity Horus, as Dewin was fond of references to mythology.

INTERIORS

Inside, the decor and the furniture were also designed by Dewin. Today, only a few elements remain, such as the staircase and some fireplaces. The furniture in the lounges on the bel étage, or main floor, was part of this coherent whole.