History
The Hotel d'Anjou, a masterpiece of Anjou's heritage
Alexandre Richard-Delalande, an architect from Angers, drew up the first plans for the Hôtel d’Anjou. Built in 1857, the hotel originally had two floors, attic space for servants, kitchens and a cellar in the basement. The originality of the building lies not so much in its exterior as in its interior decoration.
In 1913, the hotel was redesigned by the architect Gustave Gasnier. A third floor was added, and the old roof was replaced by a terrace roof.
The owner, Gabriel Crétaux, carried out major refurbishment work in the 1920s, which he entrusted to the architect Roger Jusserand. This name may not mean anything to you, but he is famous in Angers for having designed the Maison Bleue, a must-see city landmark.
Our future restaurant is overlooked by a reinforced concrete mezzanine, itself lit by an art deco glass roof… The entire interior is an ode to art deco, with mosaics, ironwork, mirrors, plasterwork…
The mosaics with their blue and gold tones are the work of Isidore Odorico (1893-1945), a famous mosaicist from Rennes. He was also responsible for the stunning façade of the Maison Bleue.
He uses the indirect laying technique, also called “arivoltatura” or “Facchina” method. It consists of breaking up the decorative motifs like a puzzle, in 50 x 50 cm sections. They are covered with tesserae of glass paste, enamels cut with a hammer and glued upside down on a sheet of kraft paper, stored in the workshop and finally installed on site through precise layout work.
Bibliographical reference
La Maison bleue – Promotion immobilière et audace architecturale sur un boulevard d’Angers, by Sevak Sarkissian, published by IMAGO, les éditions du CAUE de Maine-et-Loire
