(1840- early-20th-century)

By 1853, the city had over 1 million people. Only one house in five had running water; of these, most only had plumbing on the ground floor. Napoleon III tapped Baron Haussmann to renovate Paris. The goal was to ease traffic by creating large boulevards and to promote hygiene by integrating a clean water and sewage system, as well as to house the burgeoning upper class. Featuring an intricate cut stone façade, the common layout in a Haussmannian style building is large apartments (200 to 300 m²) with multiple salons de reception, marble fireplaces, chevron parquet floors, high ceilings with elaborate crown moldings, and a grand stairwell with an elevator to the side rather than in the center. Found around the grand boulevards in the center of Paris and in the 8^th, 10^th, 14^th, 15^th,16^th, 17^th, 18^th, 20^th arrondissements.

(1893-1917)

Art Nouveau was a brief fin-de-siecle architectural trend lasting approximately from 1893 to the beginning of World War I. Best known for the style is Hector Guimard. His curving “cigarette smoke” line had already made waves on buildings in the elegant 16th arrondissement, but his Art Nouveau was motivated by a social conscience, much like the Arts and Crafts Movement in Britain. Hired in 1896 to design the metro entrances, he leapt at the chance to design something beautiful for the masses. But when Guimard unveiled his brilliant Métro work in 1900 everyone hated it. The shiny green color was considered unpatriotic, too close to Prussian green, and the writhing insect-like metalwork was much too weird for the public. Time has defeated his critics however, and Guimard’s Art Nouveau Métro entrances have become one of the city’s trademarks.

(1918-39)

At the end of World War I, Paris was exuberant—the world had just survived “the war to end all wars. High-speed ocean liners crisscrossed the Atlantic; Surrealism shocked the art world; radios poured out jazz music. The Modern Age had arrived. Trying to express this freedom and movement, architects responded to the jazzy rhythm with angular shapes reminiscent of the new cruise ships. World War II put an end to Art Deco’s optimism and the less-flamboyant lines of pure Modernism took over. Factories from this time have converted into residential use. Turning a loft into a livable space requires consulting an architect. In general, remodeling the interior of a loft will not require approval from building co-owners but any changes affecting the exterior of the building will need building co-owner and city approval.