“Architecture and Constructive Heritage of Troyes”​

This program aims to highlight the cultural and constructive heritage of the city of Troyes through a rehabilitation project of the Hôtel de Marisy. Students will rely on the latest restoration work of the Hôtel de Marisy by Eugène Millet and on the legacy passed down by Viollet-le-Duc, his friend and master.

The architectural doctrine of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc can be summarized as follows: “Restoring a building is bringing it back to a complete state that may never have existed at any given moment.”

In other words, he advocated a creative and sometimes idealized restoration, aimed at revealing the structural logic and stylistic unity of a building, even if it meant adding new elements. He emphasized:

• Constructive rationalism (visible structures, use of iron, etc.)
• Gothic style as a reflection of architectural logic
• A theoretical and educational approach to architecture, notably through his “Dictionnaire raisonné de l’architecture”
• A major figure in rationalism and heritage restoration in the 19th century.
• Rethinking the Hôtel de Marisy based on Viollet-le-Duc’s work will be the objective of this workshop, with a focus on the constructive and architectural aspects of the project.