Street facade restoration

Situated on rue des Tournelles in Versailles, in the Saint‑Louis neighbourhood, the Maison du Modèle is an 18th‑century residence closely linked to the history of the construction of the Saint‑Louis church. The Atelier d’Architecture Antoine de Gironde carried out the complete façade restoration within the protected sector and obtained the Fondation du Patrimoine label. The works were completed at the end of 2025.

The project began in 2023 with a historical study and a thorough façade diagnosis. This preparatory phase identified the types of materials, clarified successive alterations and directed the intervention choices. A polychromy investigation was conducted by successive scrapes down to the substrate, revealing the different chromatic layers accumulated since the 18th century. These probes guided the restitution of the original hues.

During the chiselling of the render layers, the works revealed a stone façade long hidden. This discovery profoundly modified the restoration approach. The tone of the new render was matched directly to the exposed stone, ensuring full coherence between rendered sections and the original material. The objective was to restore the façade’s legibility and the balance it held before later alterations.

The 19th‑century plaster ornament—cornices, string courses, window surrounds, swags and gypseries—was severely degraded. Mouldings were exposed, consolidated and reprofiled. The most damaged features were reproduced identically, then treated with a limewash in a tone unified with the plane of the façade.

Metalwork received particular attention: balcony guards were restored in situ, missing wheel‑guards were reinstated, and cast‑iron grille vents were reproduced from the sole surviving example. The vents were enlarged to ensure adequate cellar ventilation. All metalwork was painted in a very dark brown, in keeping with 18th‑century Versailles practice. The joinery (shutters and windows) was restored and painted a very pale grey. The carriage door—previously repainted brown at an undetermined date—revealed, under investigation, a château yellow original tone, a colour traditionally associated with houses that hosted royal visits. The original yellow was reinstated, restoring the door’s historical meaning and its rightful place on rue des Tournelles.