Homes, shelters, temples, churches, and other structures have dotted the French landscape since prehistoric times. Today, you can see everything from Gallo-Roman ruins to Romanesque churches to Modernist houses. But when we think of French architecture, a few specific, distinctive styles that originated here especially come to mind.
Let’s learn more about these iconic types of French architecture.
Famous French architecture styles
Years it was most popular: ca. 1100-1400 AD
Key features: High, pointed arches; the use of techniques like flying buttresses and rib vaults to allow for greater height and higher windows; pointed, dynamic lines; frequently, embellishments like motifs, gargoyles, etc.
Famous Gothic buildings and monuments in France: Notre-Dame de Paris; le Mont-Saint-Michel (although technically a mix of Romanesque and Gothic); la Sainte-Chapelle
Gothic architecture originated in late medieval France, but with its high arches and dramatic lines, it soon made an unforgettable impression on most of Europe. In France alone, you’ll still find countless Gothic churches and a few other examples of this architectural style, as well. For art historians, Gothic architecture is often organized into stages, from the heavier Early Gothic, to the crowning achievement of Flamboyant (Rayonnant) architecture, with elaborate exteriors and stone in delicate arches leaving space for large stained glass windows.
When the geometric harmony and balance of the Renaissance and subsequent eras came into fashion, Gothic style came to be considered barbaric – in fact, that’s where it gets its name. The Goths ruled many places in Europe in medieval times, and the term suggested things that were primitive and old-fashioned.
But as a more romantic and creative mindset took hold in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, , Gothic architecture was appreciated again. That’s why you’ll find Gothic-style buildings in places like the United States. The Gothic revival in France was influenced by Victor Hugo’s novel Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), which celebrated the history of the eponymous church. Architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc carried out many restorations of Gothic buildings in France, sometimes embellishing them rather than strictly following historical accuracy.
French Renaissance style
Years it was most popular: ca. late 15th-early 17th centuries
Key features: Repetitive facades; classical influence and motifs; unusual roof structures
Inspired by the classical architecture the French army witnessed during campaigns in Italy, this style is at once more balanced and just as expressive as the Gothic style that preceded it. French Renaissance style combines classical elements like columns, a repetitive, balanced facade, and classical motifs, and adds what most architecture experts call “something distinctly French”, notably a Gothic influence. And so, those classically-inspired facades are often topped by whimsical rooftops.
Typical French Renaissance buildings include many of the chateaux in the Loire Valley. You can easily see the relative stasis of their facades, combined with dramatic details like pointed turrets and interesting details and forms on their rooftops. The later period of French Renaissance architecture involved more focus on traditional classical forms, including following the order of columns and using decorative flourishes like caryatids.
French Baroque style
Years it was most popular: 17th-late 18th centuries
Key features: Grandeur, often including size; classical influence and motifs; mansard roofs; domes
Famous French Baroque style buildings and monuments in France: the Palace of Versailles; the Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux; many of the hôtels particuliers (residential mansions) of the Marais district in Paris; Les Invalides
Evolving out of the French Renaissance style, the French Baroque style was about evoking the grandeur of the kings of France. It’s no wonder that this style was in vogue during the reigns of some of France’s most powerful monarchs, Kings Louis XIII, XIV, and XV.
French Baroque architecture continued to use certain elements found in French Renaissance architecture, like classical themes, columns, and repetitive facades. But the buildings are often on a more massive scale -for instance the palace of Versailles.
During this era, some architectural stars emerged, including François Mansart, who popularized the sloping slate roofs that came to be given his name (mansard roofs) and landscaper André Le Nôtre, the master of the French formal garden (jardin à la française). To me, these two stars say a lot about French Baroque: it’s not as decorative or eccentric as Italian Baroque, but there are still a lot of unique flourishes.
Another major development under this style was the use of the dome. You can still find many French Baroque-style buildings that are capped with domes today, including La Sorbonne and Les Invalides.
French colonial architecture
Years it was most popular: 17th-early 20th centuries
Key features: Wrap-around porches, symmetrical facades, pitched roofs, raised basement.
Famous French colonial style buildings and monuments: Numerous buildings in Quebec City, considered the city with the most French colonial architecture; Presidential Palace, Hanoi, Vietnam; many plantations in Louisiana.
When France began to expand its territories, settlers took architectural notions and preferences with them. Today, you can find French colonial architecture in locations as far-flung as Louisiana, Canada, and Vietnam.
French colonial architecture isn’t an exact copy of any France-based architectural style. Instead, it’s a combination of French architectural influences and local culture and construction materials. The presence of certain typical features, like a wraparound porch, also depends on the local climate and function of the building. For instance, a government building probably wouldn’t have a wrap-around porch.
Years it was most popular: ca. 1830-early 20th century
Key features: Beaux-Arts architecture is a combination of many different influences, including classical and Baroque, and often involves modern architectural elements like visible wrought iron and glass roofs.
Famous Beaux-Arts buildings and monuments in France: The Grand Palais; the reading room of the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève; the Palais Garnier opera house, many train stations constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries throughout France.
Named for the architecture classes at Paris’s École des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts), this style sometimes feels more like a catch-all term rather than a distinctive movement. Beaux-Arts buildings often feature a mix of classical and modern elements – for instance, a French Baroque-inspired facade with a glass roof.
Beaux-Arts buildings often incorporate then-modern features like exposed iron and glass ceilings, as you can see in many French railway stations as well as sites like the Grand Palais and the reading room of the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris.
Years it was most popular: ca. 1852-1890’s (But many buildings inspired by this style continued to be built in the following decades in France and elsewhere)
Key features: Although public buildings constructed during this time might be an eclectic mix of styles, all Haussmannian buildings are intended to embellish and blend into the urban landscape. Many public buildings feature glass roofs and/or the use of modern materials like wrought iron.
Haussmannian apartment buildings have a uniform facade, usually of cream-colored limestone, with balconies on the second floor and a continuous balcony on the fifth floor. The buildings have Mansard roofs.
Famous Haussmannian buildings and monuments in France: What we think of as typical Parisian apartment buildings.
In the early 1850’s, Baron Haussmann, Napoleon III’s prefect of the Seine, was asked to draw up plans to modernize Paris. The intention was to open up the crowded city. Although it has its critics (for one thing, this urban transformation involved demolishing many historical streets and neighborhoods), Haussmann’s work has come to be the defining look of Paris today.
Haussmann designed everything from boulevards and park benches to the famous, typical Parisian apartment buildings that bear his name today (un immeuble haussmannien). He also approved and influenced the designs of others, including many public buildings constructed in Paris at that time, like railway stations and the Palais Garnier opera house.
Although mostly associated with Paris, Haussmannian architecture has influenced buildings in cities throughout France, as well as in other places around the world.
French regional architecture
As you might expect, many regions of France have their own special architecture that you’ll come across from time to time. These include the Roman/Italian-influenced architecture of Provence and the residential style of architecture in Normandy, which features houses and buildings with visible beams in a variety of styles and colors, topped by a pitched roof. A famous example of the latter is Le Normandy Barrière Hotel in Deauville.
You can learn more about the architectural style of a typical region by doing an online search or looking up the general term “French regional architecture”.
Other famous architectural styles found in France
Our list covers the most iconic French architectural styles, but there are many more, lesser-known French architectural styles. There are also some famous ones that didn’t make this list because they’re more international than necessarily iconicly French.
Featuring rounded arches and thick walls, this style dates to around the 6th to 11th centuries AD. You can still find many Romanesque churches throughout France. But while this type of architecture is a part of the landscape in many French cities and villages, it didn’t originate in France and is found throughout Europe.
Its name is French, but this artistic and architectural style that briefly and wondrously flourished from around 1890-1910 actually originated in fellow francophone country Belgium and then quickly went international. That said, when many of us think of France, Guimard’s famous Art Nouveau Metro entrances certainly come to mind! Art Nouveau features vegetal-looking forms, bright, glossy colors, and dramatically curved lines.
This artistic, design, and architectural movement from the mid-1910’s to the early 1940’s technically originated in France, but it quickly went global. You can find many Art Deco facades in France, but the style is also closely associated with places like New York and other American cities. Unlike its short-lived predecessor, Art Nouveau, Art Deco was about dynamic lines and geometric features, rather than organic-looking forms and colors.
Where can I learn more about French architecture?
There are countless resources about French architecture, including general information and books, websites, and documentaries dedicated to specific movements and styles. You may want to start with a basic overview, for instance the Wikipedia entry for “French architecture”. You could also watch a documentary about French architecture or a particular style of French architecture on YouTube.
If you prefer the feel of pages, your local bookstore or library is probably a great source for architecture books.
And of course, you can read and listen to information about French architecture in French as well. What a great way to practice your language skills as you learn about some of the world’s most beautiful buildings!
I hope you enjoyed this essential guide to French architecture. Do you have a favorite kind of French architecture or a favorite French building or monument? Feel free to share in the comments.
Nyumba, makao, mahekalu, makanisa, na majengo mengine yamekuwapo katika eneo la Ufaransa tangu nyakati za kabla ya historia. Leo, unaweza kuona kila kitu kuanzia magofu ya Gallo-Roman hadi makanisa ya Kiromani hadi nyumba za kisasa. Lakini tunapofikiria usanifu-ujenzi wa Ufaransa, mitindo michache ya kipekee, ya kipekee ambayo ilitokana hapa hasa huja akilini. Hebu kujifunza zaidi kuhusu aina hizi iconic ya usanifu Kifaransa. Mitindo maarufu ya usanifu wa Ufaransa Miaka ilikuwa maarufu zaidi: ca. Katika miaka ya 1100-1400 KK, maboma ya juu, yenye ncha, na kutumia mbinu kama vile flying buttresses na rib vaults ili kuruhusu urefu mkubwa na madirisha ya juu, na mara nyingi, mapambo kama vile motisha, gargoyles, na kadhalika. Jengo la Notre-Dame de Paris, Mont-Saint-Michel, La Chapelle na La Chapelle ni majengo ya kifahari ya Roma na Gothic, ambayo kwa sababu ya umbo lake la kifahari na umbo lake la kuvutia, ilifanya hisia zisizoweza kusahaulika katika Ulaya. Katika Ufaransa peke yake, bado utapata makanisa mengi ya Kigothi na mifano mingine michache ya mtindo huu wa usanifu, pia. Kwa wanahistoria wa sanaa, usanifu wa Gothic mara nyingi umepangwa katika hatua, kutoka kwa Gothic ya Mapema nzito, hadi mafanikio ya juu ya usanifu wa Flamboyant (Rayonnais), na nje ya nje na mawe katika matao ya hali ya juu, na kuacha nafasi kwa madirisha makubwa ya glasi. Wakati maelewano ya kijiometri na usawa wa Renaissance na enzi zilizofuata zilipoingia katika mtindo, mtindo wa Gothic ulikuja kuchukuliwa kuwa wa kikatili - kwa kweli, hapo ndipo unapoipata jina lake. Wagothi walitawala sehemu nyingi za Ulaya katika nyakati za kati, na neno hilo lilionyesha mambo ya kale na ya kale. Lakini wakati mawazo ya kimapenzi na ubunifu zaidi yalipoanza kuenea mwishoni mwa karne ya 18 na mapema karne ya 19, usanifu wa Gothic ulithaminiwa tena. Hiyo ndiyo sababu utapata majengo ya mtindo wa Gothic katika maeneo kama vile Marekani. Uamsho wa Gothic nchini Ufaransa uliathiriwa na riwaya ya Victor Hugo Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), ambayo ilisherehekea historia ya kanisa la eponymous. Mhandisi wa majengo Eugène Viollet-le-Duc alirekebisha majengo mengi ya Kigothi nchini Ufaransa, nyakati nyingine akayapamba badala ya kufuata kwa ukaribu usahihi wa kihistoria. Mtindo wa Renaissance ya Ufaransa Miaka ilikuwa maarufu zaidi: ca. "Mwaka wa 15 na mapema karne ya 17 ""Mtazamo wa kifahari wa kifahari"" ni mtindo wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari wa kifahari." Mtindo wa Renaissance ya Ufaransa unachanganya vipengele vya kawaida kama vile nguzo, jengo la mbele linalorudiwa-rudiwa, lenye usawa, na michoro ya kawaida, na inaongeza kile ambacho wataalamu wengi wa usanifu huita "kitu cha Kifaransa waziwazi", hasa ushawishi wa Gothic. Na hivyo, hizo facades classic-aliongoza ni mara nyingi topped na rooftops whimsical. Majengo ya kawaida ya Kifaransa ya Enzi ya Renaissance yanatia ndani majumba mengi katika Bonde la Loire. Unaweza kuona kwa urahisi ukaribu wa ukaribu wa façades zao, pamoja na maelezo ya kuvutia kama vile minara ya ncha na maelezo ya kuvutia na maumbo kwenye paa zao. Katika kipindi cha baadaye cha usanifu wa Renaissance ya Ufaransa, umakini zaidi ulijumuishwa kwenye fomu za jadi za kawaida, ikiwa ni pamoja na kufuata utaratibu wa nguzo na kutumia maua ya mapambo kama caryatids. Barocque ya Ufaransa: Mfano wa kifahari wa kifahari wa Ufaransa, na kwa sababu ya kuvutia kwa watu wengi, ilijengwa katika karne ya 17 na kuundwa katika karne ya 18 na kuundwa katika karne ya 19 na kuundwa katika karne ya 19 na kuundwa katika karne ya 19 na kuundwa katika karne ya 19. Haishangazi kwamba mtindo huo ulikuwa maarufu wakati wa utawala wa baadhi ya watawala wenye nguvu zaidi wa Ufaransa, Wafalme Louis XIII, XIV, na XV. Usanifu-ujenzi wa Kifaransa wa Baroque uliendelea kutumia mambo fulani yaliyopatikana katika usanifu-ujenzi wa Renaissance ya Ufaransa, kama vile mandhari za kale, nguzo, na nyuso zinazorudiwa-rudiwa. Lakini mara nyingi majengo hayo huwa makubwa zaidi - kwa mfano, jumba la kifalme la Versailles. Katika kipindi hiki, baadhi ya nyota wa usanifu-ujenzi walijitokeza, ikiwa ni pamoja na François Mansart, ambaye aliendeleza paa la slate lenye mteremko ambao ulipewa jina lake ( paa la mansard) na mtengenezaji wa mandhari André Le Nôtre, bwana wa bustani rasmi ya Kifaransa (jardin à la française). Kwa mimi, nyota hizi mbili kusema mengi kuhusu Kifaransa Baroque: si kama mapambo au eccentric kama Kiitaliano Baroque, lakini bado kuna mengi ya kipekee flourishes. Maendeleo mengine makubwa chini ya mtindo huu yalikuwa matumizi ya dome. Jengo la zamani la Baroque la Ufaransa, ambalo lina majengo ya juu ya paa, linajulikana kama La Sorbonne au Les Invalides. Ujenzi wa Ufaransa: Miaka ya kwanza ya ukoloni: karne ya 17 na mapema karne ya 20 Vipengele muhimu: Porches wrap-kuzunguka, façades symmetrical, paa pitched, raised basement. Jengo la Kifaransa la Kiukoloni: Jengo la Kifaransa la Kiukoloni huko Quebec City, jiji lenye usanifu wa kiukoloni wa Kifaransa, Jumba la Rais, Hanoi, Vietnam, na mashamba mengi huko Louisiana. Ufaransa ilipoanza kupanua maeneo yake, wahamiaji walichukua maoni na mapendezi yao ya usanifu-ujenzi. Leo, unaweza kuona majengo ya kikoloni ya Ufaransa katika maeneo ya mbali kama vile Louisiana, Kanada, na Vietnam. Usanifu wa kikoloni wa Ufaransa si nakala halisi ya mtindo wowote wa usanifu wa Ufaransa. Badala yake, ni mchanganyiko wa uvutano wa usanifu wa Ufaransa na utamaduni wa ndani na vifaa vya ujenzi. Uwepo wa mambo fulani ya kawaida, kama vile veranda iliyozungukwa, hutegemea pia hali ya hewa ya mahali hapo na kazi ya jengo hilo. Kwa mfano, jengo la serikali labda halingekuwa na veranda inayozunguka. Miaka ilikuwa maarufu zaidi: ca. "Mwaka 1830 na mapema karne ya 20 ""Beaux-Arts"" ni mchanganyiko wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu wa usanifu." Nyumba za sanaa za kisasa za Ufaransa: Grand Palais, chumba cha kusoma cha Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, nyumba ya opera ya Palais Garnier, vituo vingi vya treni vilivyojengwa katika karne ya 19 na mapema ya 20 kote Ufaransa. Jina lake linatokana na madarasa ya usanifu-ujenzi katika Shule ya Sanaa ya Paris, na wakati mwingine mtindo huu huhisi kama neno la jumla badala ya harakati ya kipekee. Majengo ya Beaux-Arts mara nyingi yana mchanganyiko wa vipengele vya kawaida na vya kisasa - kwa mfano, uso wa Ufaransa ulioongozwa na Baroque na paa la kioo. Majengo ya sanaa mara nyingi hujumuisha vipengele vya kisasa kama vile chuma kilichoonyeshwa na dari za kioo, kama unavyoweza kuona katika vituo vingi vya reli vya Ufaransa na maeneo kama Grand Palais na chumba cha kusoma cha Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève huko Paris. Miaka ilikuwa maarufu zaidi: ca. 1852-1890, majengo mengi yaliyoongozwa na mtindo huu yaliendelea kujengwa katika miongo iliyofuata nchini Ufaransa na kwingineko. Majengo mengi ya umma yana paa za kioo na au matumizi ya vifaa vya kisasa kama chuma cha chuma. Majengo ya nyumba za Haussmannian yana jengo moja, kwa kawaida la mawe ya chokaa yenye rangi ya krimu, na balcony kwenye ghorofa ya pili na balcony inayoendelea kwenye ghorofa ya tano. Majengo hayo yana paa za Mansard. Majengo na makaburi maarufu ya Haussmannian nchini Ufaransa: Mambo tunayoyaona kuwa majengo ya kawaida ya nyumba za ghorofa za Paris. Katika miaka ya 1850, Baron Haussmann, mkuu wa mto Seine wa Napoleon wa Tatu, aliombwa kuandaa mipango ya kuboresha Paris. Kusudi lilikuwa kufungua jiji lililokuwa na watu wengi. Ingawa kazi ya Haussmann imepingwa (kwa sababu ya mabadiliko hayo ya mijini, barabara na vitongoji vingi vya kihistoria vilibomolewa), kazi yake imekuwa sura ya Paris leo. Haussmann alibuni kila kitu kuanzia barabara na viti vya bustani hadi majengo maarufu ya makazi ya kawaida ya Paris ambayo leo yanaitwa kwa jina lake (un immeuble haussmannien). Pia aliidhinisha na kuathiri miundo ya wengine, ikiwa ni pamoja na majengo mengi ya umma yalijengwa huko Paris wakati huo, kama vituo vya reli na nyumba ya opera ya Palais Garnier. Ingawa hasa kuhusishwa na Paris, Haussmannian usanifu imekuwa na ushawishi majengo katika miji kote Ufaransa, kama vile katika maeneo mengine duniani kote. Kifaransa usanifu wa kikanda Kama unaweza kutarajia, mikoa mingi ya Ufaransa na usanifu wao maalum kwamba wewe itabidi kuja katika mara kwa mara. Mifumo ya ujenzi ya Roma na Italia ya Provence na mtindo wa makazi ya Normandy, ambayo ina nyumba na majengo yenye miamba inayoonekana katika mitindo na rangi mbalimbali, iliyo na paa la juu. Mfano maarufu wa mwisho ni Le Normandy Barrière Hotel katika Deauville. Unaweza kujifunza zaidi kuhusu mtindo wa usanifu wa mkoa wa kawaida kwa kufanya utafutaji mtandaoni au kuangalia juu ya neno la jumla <unk>Ujenzi wa mkoa wa Ufaransa<unk>. Mifumo mingine maarufu ya usanifu iliyopatikana nchini Ufaransa: Mifumo yetu inashughulikia mitindo maarufu zaidi ya usanifu wa Ufaransa, lakini kuna mengi zaidi, mitindo ya usanifu wa Ufaransa isiyojulikana. Pia kuna baadhi ya maarufu ambao hawakupata orodha hii kwa sababu wao ni zaidi ya kimataifa kuliko lazima iconically Kifaransa. Kwa kuwa ina umbo la upinde na kuta nzito, imesajiliwa kuwa ilijengwa kati ya karne ya 6 na 11. Bado unaweza kupata makanisa mengi ya Kiromani kotekote Ufaransa. Lakini wakati aina hii ya usanifu ni sehemu ya mandhari katika miji mingi ya Ufaransa na vijiji, haikutoka Ufaransa na inapatikana kote Ulaya. Jina lake ni la Kifaransa, lakini mtindo huu wa kisanii na usanifu ambao ulifanikiwa kwa muda mfupi na kwa ajabu kutoka karibu na 1890 hadi 1910 kwa kweli ulitokana na nchi ya wenzake wa lugha ya Kifaransa Ubelgiji na kisha haraka ikawa ya kimataifa. Hata hivyo, wengi wetu tunapofikiria Ufaransa, kwa hakika tunakumbuka milango maarufu ya gari-moshi la chini ya ardhi la Guimard! Sanaa ya Art Nouveau ina maumbo yanayoonekana kama ya mimea, rangi zenye kung'aa na zenye kung'aa, na mistari yenye umbo la mviringo. Harakati hii ya kisanii, kubuni, na usanifu kutoka katikati ya miaka ya 1910 hadi mapema miaka ya 1940 ilitokana na Ufaransa, lakini haraka ikawa ya kimataifa. Art Deco ni mtindo wa kifahari wa Ufaransa, lakini pia unajulikana kwa sababu ya kuvutia kwa watu wa New York na miji mingine ya Amerika. Tofauti na mtangulizi wake wa muda mfupi, Art Nouveau, Art Deco ilikuwa juu ya mistari ya nguvu na sifa za kijiometri, badala ya maumbo na rangi za kuonekana kikaboni. Ninaweza kujifunza wapi zaidi kuhusu usanifu-ujenzi wa Ufaransa? Kuna rasilimali nyingi kuhusu usanifu wa Ufaransa, ikiwa ni pamoja na habari ya jumla na vitabu, tovuti, na filamu za maandishi zilizowekwa wakfu kwa harakati na mitindo maalum. Unaweza kutaka kuanza na muhtasari wa msingi, kwa mfano Wikipedia kuingia kwa <unk>ufanisi wa Kifaransa<unk>. Unaweza pia kuangalia documentary kuhusu usanifu Kifaransa au mtindo fulani wa usanifu Kifaransa juu ya YouTube. Ikiwa unapendelea hisia ya kurasa, duka lako la vitabu la karibu au maktaba labda ni chanzo kizuri cha vitabu vya usanifu. Kwa kweli, unaweza kusoma na kusikiliza habari kuhusu usanifu wa Ufaransa katika Kifaransa pia. Ni njia nzuri kama nini ya kuzoeza ustadi wako wa lugha unapojifunza juu ya baadhi ya majengo mazuri zaidi ulimwenguni! Natumaini umefurahia mwongozo huu muhimu wa usanifu wa Ufaransa. Je, una aina ya mapambo ya Kifaransa unayopenda au jengo au mnara wa Kifaransa unayopenda? Jisikia huru kushiriki katika maoni.