It took nearly two years at the architect André Granet (1881-1974) to raise its imposing building on Avenue Marceau, the first major building of a long and successful career, and certainly with the help of Roger-Henri expert, who was the faithful collaborator of his early work. Commissioned by Paul Watel, his application for a building permit was issued from August 16, 1912, but the building was not signed until 1914, most likely index of careful work, but complex.
The main facade made entirely of stone, appears as a stylistic composite interesting. Indeed, it borrows many elements of eclecticism that betray a strong classical culture, still very fresh in the memory and the practice of young architects: Marquise, consoles, bay windows, balconies with balustrades, pots to fire ... Granet is fully aware of the tradition here and revels in a blend. Until the strict symmetry, which at first sight, nothing announces the creator that he would be more daring in the early 1920s. To understand this amazing mix of genres, just read his date of birth and that, at the age of just 33 years, it is already a generation later than that of the great masters of the Art Nouveau, mostly born in the 1860s. Granet's career does not begin before 1905 (1).
Nevertheless, the artist allows himself also great bare spaces, warning of the sober post-war, highlighted by the virtuoso ironwork design a rigorous, Art Nouveau by their scholarly composition, iconography both plant and animal, but even by their graphic Art Deco already very refined, almost abstract in places. This quest simplicity peaked in the austere and highly repetitive pattern of the front door.
All this contrasts sharply with the party adopted at the summit in the central part, consisting of a huge drum, strangely oversize, an excuse for a sumptuous and monumental sculpture composition. The eardrum itself is adorned with a huge basket of flowers, giving off two long leafy branches. But this pattern has to overcome two enormous peacocks, beautifully placed wreaths in front of the drawing of incredible complexity. Their exact nature is unknown, as they seem meet the plant world, but they seem to both suggest a possible variation on the motif of the peacock's tail. The foundation of this vast terrain is devoted exclusively to the pine cone, which remains the principal motive of the entire sculptural program, as it appears in abundance, and into the ironwork.
This pine cone is almost exclusively on the rear facade, which deserves to be admired for itself. It could be discovered on the small and very discreet impasse du Docteur-Jacques Bertillon. If the symmetry is still the rule, Granet proves is much more builder decorator, not least by offering to brick a key role in the development of volumes, underscoring the widening of the balconies as the advancing protrusions. We can not dream as singular contrast between the two sides of the same building, used to make a double figure of style, effects completely dissimilar.
This entire building has a very strong impression of a purely experimental work, since it was not known to many in the future career of Granet: the war would quickly lead to much more radical ways, diametrically opposed to what we are shown here. Without doubt these external circumstances have they been enough to drive the architect to a language far more in keeping with its natural taste. It is nevertheless true that this unique and brilliant contribution to the world of Art Nouveau is an exciting prelude to the style of the 1920s is already clearly stated, juxtaposed with a strong presence remains a perfectly eclectic aesthetic , we would have gladly found on buildings of the 1890s ... Besides, just look at the rise original, dated July 1912, to realize that the initial project not escaped in any way the very banality "Beaux Arts" which was still the rule in recent years before the war, afflicting almost trite to traditionalism. Evolution has thus certainly produced during the construction: the owner has undoubtedly made financial sacrifices for a richer decoration, in keeping with the desire of the architect of his plan to progressively make more original and more innovative.
(1) The archives of André Granet was fortunately preserved. He is now at the French Institute of Architecture.
