Mary@MaryBrush.com     restorechic@mac.com     www.marybrush.com

  December 5, 2005      

November brought a visit to the office of Michel Goutal, the Architecte en Chef for The Palais du Louvre, the Bordeaux region, and The Villa Cavrois in Lille.

 The Villa Cavrois was designed by Robert Mallet Stevens and is a monument to modern architecture - notable both at its time of construction and now internationally recognized as an important development in Architecture. It has had a challenged life as a building. It was occupied during WWI by the German army and poorly treated during that time, then it was abandoned and heavily vandalized in recent years. The current restoration involves the exterior: roofs walls and windows. A later phase will address all of the interior issues.

An architectural contrast that fills the diverse lives of all architectes-en-chef is another project of Michel Goutal: The restoration of the Gallerie D’Apollon in the Louvre. The restoration included the ceiling paintings by Le Brun, restoration of the guilded woodwork, and reinstallation of the original museum cases for some of the royal jewels.

The Louvre requires a careful and strategic balance between a building that was originally Royal Palace and is now an acclaimed museum. A current project involves the restoration of the exterior walls of the Cour Visconti. The challenge is that the work must not interfere or damage the artwork in the rooms on the other side of each window and below the roof. All the work is to be completed in 2006: an impressive challenge! The work includes a fully covered second roof to protect the building during the restoration.

The tour of the Louvre included a trip to the roof, which provided lovely views of the beauty that is Paris.

The Orangerie is a relatively small building on the grounds of the Jardins de Tuilleries, which are adjacent to the Louvre. This building holds a major work of Monet. The work around the painting includes complete roof, wall and interior modifications. The exterior work provided a discussion of the decisions of building authenticity and restoration: at what point is a building so restored that it is new?

A trip to see the projects in the region of Bordeaux began with a tour provided by Mme Michele le Menstral and the Ambassador Ullrich for the Frick Institute of New York on their travels of the life of Goya. The Spanish artist chose to live and work in his later years in Bordeaux. The final evening was a beautiful experience of viticulture at The Chateau de Tertre Winery. Paris L’Orangerie

The restoration of Eglise St Quentin in the Paris L’Orangerie Bordeaux is fascinating for its dramatic history. This small church is an ‘eglise fort’, meaning it is a fortified church from the Hundred Years War in the 15-1600s. The crenellations in the upper walls are remnants of this era. The windows, walls, and vaulting reflect the Romanesque and Gothic eras of Church construction. The restoration maintains the passage of time throughout this small but important church.

A private chapel of a private chateau (Chateau Mereil) involved the restoration of the intricate woodwork.

The Chateau de Cadillac is a museum noteworthy for its elaborate chimneys which reflect the strong commercial relations with Italy. Bordeaux developed as an important harbor, and notable cultural influences came from Italian craftsmen. The marble and stone sculpture throughout the chateau will be restored.

A fine finish to the month of November brought my mother and sister for a Thanksgiving visit. Together we toured a brisk and chilly Provence. Off season has the benefit of limited crowds, but the timing also brought snow in St Remy and then again in Paris. Chilly as it was, it was wonderful to share the beauty of France with family, and to share the feast of Thanksgiving with good friends and family in Paris.

  Happy Holidays

  Mary