
Châteauesque (or
Francis I style,
[Whiffen, Marcus, ''American Architecture Since 1780: A guide to the styles'', The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1969, p. 142.] or in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, the Château Style) is a
revivalist architectural style
An architectural style is a classification of buildings (and nonbuilding structures) based on a set of characteristics and features, including overall appearance, arrangement of the components, method of construction, building materials used, for ...
based on the
French Renaissance architecture of the monumental
châteaux of the Loire Valley
The châteaux of the Loire Valley () are part of the architectural heritage of the historic towns of Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Montsoreau, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours along the river Loire in France. They illustrate Renaissance ideals of des ...
from the late fifteenth century to the early seventeenth century.
The term ''châteauesque'' (literally, "
château
A château (, ; plural: châteaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking re ...
-like") is credited (by historian
Marcus Whiffen) to American architectural historian
Bainbridge Bunting,
[ although it can be found in publications that pre-date Bunting's birth. As of 2011, the ]Getty Research Institute
The Getty Research Institute (GRI), located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California, is "dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing understanding of the visual arts". 's ''Art & Architecture Thesaurus'' includes both "Château Style" and "Châteauesque", with the former being the preferred term for North America.
The style frequently features buildings heavily ornamented by the elaborate towers, spires, and steeply-pitched roofs of sixteenth century châteaux, themselves influenced by late Gothic and Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...
architecture. Despite their French ornamentation, as a revival style, buildings in the châteauesque style do not attempt to completely emulate a French château. Châteauesque buildings are typically built on an asymmetrical plan, with a roof-line broken in several places and a facade composed of advancing and receding planes.
History
The style was popularized in the United States by Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt (October 31, 1827 – July 31, 1895) was an American architect of the nineteenth century and an eminent figure in the history of architecture of the United States. He helped shape New York City with his designs for the 1902 ...
. Hunt, the first American architect to study at the École des Beaux-Arts
; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centu ...
in Paris, designed residences, including those for the Vanderbilt family
The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanth ...
, during the 1870s, 1880s and 1890s. A relatively rare style in the United States, its presence was concentrated in the Northeast, although isolated examples can be found in nearly all parts of the country. It was mostly employed for residences of the extremely wealthy, although it was occasionally used for public buildings.
The first building in this style in Canada was the 1887 Quebec City Armoury (now named the Voltigeurs de Québec Armoury, formerly called the Grande-Allée Armoury (French: Manège militaire Grande-Allée, or simply Manège militaire) designed by Eugène-Étienne Taché. Many of Canada's grand railway hotels, designed by John Smith Archibald, Edward Maxwell, Bruce Price and Ross and Macdonald, were built in the Châteauesque style, with other mainly public or residential buildings. The style may be associated with Canadian architecture because these grand hotels are prominent landmarks in major cities across the country and in certain national parks.
In Hungary, Arthur Meinig built numerous country houses in the Loire Valley style, the earliest being Andrássy Castle in Tiszadob, 1885–1890, and the grandest being Károlyi Castle in Nagykároly ( Carei), 1893–1895.
The style began to fade after the turn of the 20th century, and it was largely absent from new construction by the 1930s.
Architects who designed in Châteauesque style
* John Smith Archibald of Archibald and Schofield
* Bradford Gilbert
* Bruce Price
* Edward Maxwell
* Eugène-Étienne Taché
* Francis Rattenbury
* Sproatt and Rolph
* Hippolyte Destailleur
* Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt (October 31, 1827 – July 31, 1895) was an American architect of the nineteenth century and an eminent figure in the history of architecture of the United States. He helped shape New York City with his designs for the 1902 ...
* Ross and Macfarlane, Ross and Macdonald
* Solon Spencer Beman
* Walter-André Destailleur
* William Lightfoot Price
* William Henry Crossland
* Henry Heistand, ounder of Miami University's(OH) architecture program
Examples in Europe
Image:Crimea South Coast 04-14 img02 Massandra Palace.jpg, Massandra Palace, Crimea
Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
(1900 palace)
Image:Dmitry Medvedev 2 July 2008-4.jpg, Meyendorff Castle near Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
(1874–1885)
Image:Euxinograd-palace-benkovski.png, Euxinograd, Varna, Bulgaria
Varna (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, third-largest city in Bulgaria and the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and in the Northern Bulgaria region. Situated strategically in the Gulf of Varna, t ...
United Kingdom
File:Founder's Building, Royal Holloway, University of London - Diliff.jpg, Founder's Building, Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London (RH), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public university, public research university and a constituent college, member institution of the federal University of London. It ...
, Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, England, 1874-1881
File:WaddesdonManor.JPG, Waddesdon Manor
Waddesdon Manor is a English country house, country house in the village of Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, England. Owned by the National Trust and managed by the Rothschild Foundation, it is one of the National Trust's most visited properties, ...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...
, England 1874–1889
File:2015-12-29 Chateau Impney.jpg, Chateau Impney, Worcestershire.
File:Haltonhouse-northface.jpg, Halton House, Buckinghamshire.
File:Bowes Museum.jpg, Bowes Museum
The Bowes Museum is an art museum, art gallery in the town of Barnard Castle, in County Durham in northern England. It was built to designs by Jules Pellechet and John Edward Watson to house the art collection of John Bowes (art collector), Jo ...
, County Durham.
File:Cherkley Court - geograph.org.uk - 1257519.jpg, Cherkley Court, Surrey.
File:Park Place, Remenham.jpg, Park Place Berkshire.
File:MinleyManor.jpg, Minley Manor, Hampshire.
File:Oxon Hoath.jpg, alt=, Oxon Hoath, West Peckham, Kent
Examples in the United States
File:WKVanderbiltHouse Cropped version.jpeg, William K. Vanderbilt residence, Petit Chateau, 1878–82, Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, by Richard Morris Hunt.
File:Ochre Court 2.jpg, Ochre Court, Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...
, 1892
Image:Kimberly Crest 1.jpg, Kimberly Crest, Redlands, California
Redlands ( ) is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 73,168, up from 68,747 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The city is located a ...
, 1897, Dennis and Farwell, architects
Image:CareyMansion.jpg, Carey Mansion, Newport, Rhode Island
Image:Biltmore Estate.jpg, Biltmore Estate
Biltmore Estate is a historic house museum and tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. The main residence, Biltmore House (or Biltmore Mansion), is a Châteauesque-style mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt II ...
, 1890–95, Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populou ...
, Richard Morris Hunt, architect
Image:CanadaEpcot.JPG, Hotel du Canada, Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, 1982
File:Hecker House - Detroit Michigan.jpg, Col. Frank J. Hecker House
The Col. Frank J. Hecker House is a historic home in Detroit built in 1888 for local businessman and railroad-car manufacturer Colonel Frank J. Hecker. Located at 5510 M-1 (Michigan highway), Woodward Avenue, it was designated a Michigan State Hi ...
, Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 1888
File:Voight House.jpg, Voigt House, Part of Heritage Hill Historic District, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...
, 1895
File:Eighth Precinct Police Station Detroit.jpg, Eighth Precinct Police Station, Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 1901
File:Tacoma - Stadium High School 03A.jpg, Stadium High School, Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...
, Broke ground 1891, Completed 1906
File:20070110 United States Soccer Federation.JPG, William W. Kimball House, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, 1892
File:Overholser Mansion in Oklahoma City.jpg, Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, 1903
File:East Village, Long Beach, CA, USA - panoramio.jpg, Villa Riviera, Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...
, 1929
Examples in Canada
Many of the Châteauesque-style buildings in Canada were built by railway companies, and their respective hotel divisions. They include Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States.
CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...
and Canadian National Hotels, Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...
and Canadian Pacific Hotels, and the Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway (; ) was a Rail transport, railway system that operated in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the List of states and territories of the United States, American sta ...
.
Image:Banff Spring Hotel.JPG, Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, Alberta
Banff is a resort town in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Calgary, east of Lake Louise, Alberta, Lake Louise, and above
Banff was the first municipality to incorporate within ...
Image:Château Laurier 2.jpg, Château Laurier, Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
, Ontario
Image:2009-0519-FortGarryHotel.jpg, Fort Garry Hotel, Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
, Manitoba
Image:Québec, Gare du Palais1.jpg, Gare du Palais, Quebec City
Image:HotelVancouver.jpg, Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, British Columbia
Image:Manoir Richelieu01.jpg, Manoir Richelieu, La Malbaie, Quebec
Image:Place Viger.png, Place Viger, Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, Quebec
Image:Manège Militaire, Québec City, Les Voltigeurs de Québec.jpg, Quebec City Armoury, Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
Image:Bessborough Hotel.jpg, The Bessborough, Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
, Saskatchewan
Image:The Empress Hotel.JPG, The Empress, Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...
File:Toronto - ON - Royal York Hotel.jpg, The Royal York, Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario
Examples in Argentina
File:Museo de Arte de Tigre vista de norte a sur.jpg, Tigre Club, Tigre
File:Aguas Corrientes-2011-TM.jpg, Palace of Running Waters, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the RÃo de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
File:Circulo Militar 5821.jpg, Paz Palace, Buenos Aires
File:Palacio Ortiz Basualdo ca 1910 (AGN).jpg, Ortiz Basualdo Palace, Buenos Aires
File:Palacio San Martin 1.jpg, San MartÃn Palace, Buenos Aires
See also
* List of architectural styles
*Empire style
The Empire style (, ''style Empire'') is an early-nineteenth-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts, representing the second phase of Neoclassicism. It flourished between 1800 and 1815 duri ...
* French architecture
*Revivalism (architecture)
Architectural revivalism is the use of elements that echo the style of a Architectural style, previous architectural era that have or had fallen into disuse or abeyance between their heyday and period of revival. Revivalism, in a narrower sense, ...
References
External links
Yorklinks.net: Images of Châteauesque architecture
— ''images from Chicago architecture.''
— ''images from Louisville, Kentucky.''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chateauesque
01
*
American architectural styles
Revival architectural styles
19th-century architectural styles
20th-century architectural styles