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Hector Guimard: Paris to Honor Art Nouveau Metro Designer with New Museum
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paris is finally set to honor Hector Guimard, the Art Nouveau architect and designer behind the city’s iconic Métro entrances, with a museum dedicated to his life and work.The museum, slated to open by the end of 2027, aims to give Guimard his rightful place in Parisian history after decades of neglect.
A Long-Overdue Tribute to hector Guimard
Hector Guimard, who left an indelible mark on Paris with his elaborate Métro entrances in the early 1900s, faced initial criticism for his designs. These entrances, characterized by their sinuous cast iron, lily-of-the-valley-like lamps, and stylized “Métropolitain” signs, were dubbed “dragonflies” due to their insect-wing resemblance. Despite their current iconic status, many Parisians initially found them scandalous, with critics deeming the green paint “un-French” and the ornate signs confusing Art Nouveau went out of style,and by 1913,Guimard’s designs were dropped.
Did You Know? Salvador Dalí, the renowned surrealist artist, admired Guimard’s work so much that he painted “Tribute to Guimard” in 1970, describing his Métro entrances as divine.
The Hôtel Mezzara: A Fitting Home for Guimard’s Legacy
The museum will be located in the Hôtel Mezzara,a four-story building in Paris’s 16th arrondissement designed by Guimard in 1910. This building, featuring Guimard’s signature ironwork, including a spectacular glass skylight and chandeliers, was originally commissioned by Paul Mezzara, a wealthy textile manufacturer from Venice.The building later served as student accommodation before being acquired for the museum project.A €6 million (£5.2 million) renovation is planned before the museum’s opening.
The museum will showcase Guimard’s creations, including Art Nouveau furniture, decorations, and an archive of his designs and documents.Fabien Choné, a Guimard collector and head of Hector Guimard Diffusion, emphasized the absurdity of Guimard’s recognition in museums worldwide, especially in the U.S., while paris lacked a dedicated space for his work.
A Battle for Recognition
Nicolas Horiot, an architect and president of the Circle Guimard, an association dedicated to preserving Guimard’s designs, described the decade-long struggle to gain recognition for the designer’s work. He views the museum as a correction of a past injustice. After World War
