At the end of the 19th century, the still rural communes of Passy, Auteuil and Chaillot were incorporated into the capital, offering vast spaces conducive to architectural experimentation. This was the era when Art Nouveau took root in Paris, particularly after the 1900 World's Fair, which celebrated this innovative style inspired by nature.
Hector Guimard, an emblematic figure of this movement in France, drew inspiration from the Belgian Victor Horta to create works characterised by their curved lines and organic motifs. Mocked by some critics who nicknamed it ‘noodle style’, Art Nouveau in Paris nevertheless enjoyed considerable success until the 1920s, when Art Deco took over. This new movement favoured geometry over curves, horizontality over verticality, and symmetry replaced volutes.
Good news for lovers of Art Nouveau: the Hôtel Mezzara at 60 Rue Jean-de-La-Fontaine will soon be home to a museum dedicated to Hector Guimard. After extensive restoration work, this architectural masterpiece will open its doors to the public in January 2028, offering visitors the chance to discover the fascinating world of this visionary architect.
Head back towards Place Victor Hugo to reach the avenue of the same name. At number 16, on the corner of Rue de Traktir, you will find a real architectural gem: the Café Prunier. Designed by architect Louis-Hippolyte Boileau in 1925, this Belle Époque restaurant features large glass windows and a magnificent blue mosaic façade of astonishing detail by Auguste Labouret.
While circles predominate, there are also sunbeam semicircles, pentagons, stars, jellyfish and fish, with geometric and animal motifs typical of Art Deco.
Café Prunier – 16 avenue Victor Hugo, Paris 16th arrondissement
Head to Avenue Raymond Poincaré, where number 59 is home to the Pauilhac mansion, an example of late Art Nouveau.
Built in 1911, the ground floor and first two floors feature the usual rounded openings and sculptures of branches and pine cones, while the roof displays lines reminiscent of the Gothic style, as evidenced by the curved dormer windows. This mixture of styles was the hallmark of the École de Nancy.
Hôtel Pauilhac - 59 avenue Raymond Poincaré, Paris 16th arrondissement
More information about the Hôtel Pauilhac
Continue along Avenue Victor Hugo and stop at number 111 to admire the Cité de l'Argentine, also known as the Galerie Argentine, with its Art Nouveau style.
Designed between 1904 and 1907 by Henri Sauvage and Charles Sarrazin, it takes its name from the Argentine businessman Mayol de Senillosa, who commissioned its construction. This shopping arcade, inspired by the covered passages of the 18th and 19th centuries, features a blue iron metal frame and a succession of two glass roofs, one fish-bone shaped and the other square, providing soft overhead lighting. The second floor loggia is embellished with a delicate wrought iron walkway. The ground floor still houses various shops today.
Cité de l'Argentine – 111 avenue Victor Hugo, Paris 16th arrondissement
Whether an entrance kiosk or a simple surround topped with a ‘Métropolitain’ plaque, the famous metro entrance bearing the signature of Guimard is emblematic of the capital. Porte Dauphine boasts one of the finest examples.
An authentic model in the ‘dragonfly’ style, the entrance features long stems known as ‘sprigs of lily of the valley’, made of moulded cast iron and topped with a double-sloped glass roof, illustrating the main principles of Art Nouveau: the use of metals, inspiration from flora and fauna, and fluid curves. This creation perfectly represents the Paris Art Nouveau architecture that revolutionised the urban landscape at the beginning of the 20th century.
Did you know? 380 Guimard kiosks were designed between 1899 and 1904. Only 86 remain today, spread across 66 stations.
Porte Dauphine, Paris 16th arrondissement
More information on the Guimard metro station entrance
Continuing along Avenue Henri Martin, at number 115, we discover an example of ‘French-style balance’, buildings with carefully studied proportions, designed by architect Michel Roux-Spitz.
He built this block between 1929 and 1931, known as the ‘white series’, illustrating the stripped-back Art Deco style of those years. The volumes are massive, the rows of windows perfectly symmetrical, and the bays have replaced the bow windows.
115 Avenue Henri Martin, Paris 16th arrondissement
In the Chaillot district, the Bon restaurant – formerly the Orève florist's – has been redesigned by Philippe Starck, while retaining its charming 1910 architecture.
Located at 25 Rue de la Pompe, it features ochre and pale blue glazed bricks, sculpted motifs, a superb period greenhouse and a gold-backed plant mosaic depicting garlands of oak and chestnut trees. Lecourtois, its architect, designed a façade with two orientations: the shop is aligned with the street, while the building faces south-east.
Restaurant Bon - 25 Rue de la Pompe, Paris 16th arrondissement
Take a detour down Rue Vineuse to see several bare façades with simplified lines, often located at the intersection of two streets. Cut-away corners are typical of Art Deco, which avoids right angles. Then head to Rue de l'Assomption.
At numbers 44 and 50, Rue de l'Assomption reveals two buildings characteristic of the Art Deco style.
Decorated with fruit baskets and ironwork spirals, enhanced with pediments or exposed stairwells, they are composed of a wide variety of materials. The economic difficulties of the interwar period forced architects to use less noble materials, which is why sandstone is used alongside concrete, iron and brick.
44 and 50 Rue de l'Assomption, Paris 16th arrondissement
Located in the heart of the Muette district, the Castel Béranger, completed in 1898, is considered Hector Guimard's seminal work. The young architect won first prize for the most beautiful façade in Paris. It was a stark departure from the codes of the time!
The colours are bright: sea green, orange and beige. The group of buildings is interspersed with more or less bulging spans, some of which resemble watchtowers. The entrance door features undulating asymmetry, the balconies are particularly ornate, and the building is composed of a disparate yet harmonious assembly of brick, ceramic (the emblematic material of this movement), glazed sandstone, metal, and millstone.
Finally, the various animals, such as the iron seahorses climbing up the façade, bear witness to the creative freedom that characterises Art Nouveau. Hector Guimard also focused on the interior decoration, designing the wallpaper, door handles and carpet. (Visits possible)
Did you know? Art Nouveau, freely inspired by nature and favouring curves and arabesques, did not have only enthusiastic supporters at the time. Its detractors dubbed this artistic movement the ‘noodle style’ and nicknamed the building the ‘Castel dérangé’ (the disturbed castle).
Castel Béranger - 14 rue Jean de La Fontaine, Paris 16th arrondissement
On the same street, Jean de La Fontaine, numbers 17, 19 and 21 are in the same style, as are, not far away, number 43 rue Gros and 8-10 rue Agar. Here we find stone facades, plant-inspired columns around the doors, undulations along the entire height, and cast iron street signs with white letters set against blue enamel.
At 60 Rue Jean de La Fontaine is the Hôtel Mezzara, built in 1910. More sober than the previous building, it reflects the evolution of Hector Guimard's style fifteen years after the Castel Béranger: refinement has replaced exuberance.
An elegant hotel designed for Paul Mezzara, an artist of the time and friend of the architect, it features tastefully arranged interior spaces and a glass roof overlooking a central patio. On the street side, an elegant and proportionate façade is set back from the wrought iron gate decorated with brambles and flowers by a recess that opens up the whole space. (Visits by appointment only)
Hôtel Mezzara - 60 rue Jean de La Fontaine, Paris 16th arrondissement
A few steps away is the mansion named after the architect. Guimard had it built in 1909 – his monogram is carved above the door – and established his home and design offices there.
Floral motifs and rounded shapes frame the entrance doors and windows, and there is a wide variety of volumes between the openings and between the floors: the third floor widens while the fourth floor recedes to create a balcony and a canopy. The intricate ironwork and use of glass are characteristic of Art Nouveau, which attaches great importance to detail and the entry of light. The two lanterns, visible on the third-floor balcony, are a recurring feature in the architect's work.
Hôtel Guimard - 122 avenue Mozart, Paris 16th arrondissement
More information about the Hôtel Guimard
The building at 18 Rue Heine is one of Hector Guimard's last creations. Built in 1926, the building recalls some of the architect's favourite details, but its numerous angles and deliberate sobriety herald the new Art Deco movement.
18 Rue Heine, Paris 16th arrondissement
On Rue Chardon Lagache, an Art Deco building constructed in 1934 at number 16 by Jean Hillard stands out for its remarkable bas-relief: two sets stretch upwards over the four floors. Created by sculptor Georges Maxime Chiquet, the first depicts wine-making, the second agricultural work. Not far from there, at Chardon-Lagache station, is a Guimard kiosk, consisting of a railing and two candelabra.
Building at 16 Rue Chardon Lagache, Paris 16th arrondissement
Continue your walk to reach 8 Villa de la Réunion. Here you can see an Art Nouveau creation by Hector Guimard: the Deron-Levent hotel, which has a two-part façade.
The ironwork is extremely delicate, such as the gutter on the top floor, which appears to be supported by wrought iron torches. The white stone windows are topped with magnificent sculptures.
Hôtel Deron-Levent - 8 Villa de la Réunion, Paris 16th arrondissement
A few more steps and you will arrive at 142 Avenue de Versailles, where you will find the Hôtel Jassédé. Also built by Hector Guimard when he was only 26 years old, this mansion combines brick, millstone and ceramics. The building features staircase windows and colourful floral friezes.
Hôtel Jassédé - 142, avenue de Versailles, Paris 16th arrondissement
In the south of the Auteuil district, you can admire another of Hector Guimard's creations: the former École du Sacré-Cœur, built in 1895.
This little-known work was inspired by the work of Viollet-le-Duc, whom the architect admired. The ornate cast iron pillars arranged in a V shape that support the building create a hollowed-out ground floor that serves as a playground. Now a residential building, its ground floor is glazed.
École du Sacré-Cœur - 11 avenue de la Frillière, Paris 16th arrondissement
Head to Place de la Porte de Saint-Cloud. At number 5 stands a group of opulent brick buildings topped with stepped gables and decorated with mosaics.
5 Place de la Porte de Saint-Cloud, Paris 16th arrondissement
Route de la Reine features impressive white ocean liner-style buildings. In the Art Deco style, this trend echoes the aesthetics of shipbuilding, which was very popular at the time. The buildings feature facades with little ornamentation, roof terraces, cut-away pediments and porthole windows.
Route de la Reine, Paris 16th arrondissement
Head towards Rue du Commandant Guilbaud. At numbers 3 and 9, architects Jean Boucher and André Chauveau opted for an Art Deco variation between stone and white brick. Ironwork and bas-reliefs are also very present here, depicting bouquets of flowers or a pineapple palm tree. Finally, the four different entrances further enrich the building and prevent it from becoming too architecturally monotonous.
3 and 9 Rue du Commandant Guilbaud, Paris 16th arrondissement
Continue along Rue du Commandant Guilbaud, go past the roundabout and take Rue Nungesser et Coli. At number 13 you will find the splendid Molitor swimming pool.
Built in 1929 by architect Lucien Pollet, this municipal swimming pool resembles a white ocean liner with Art Deco lines. The stained glass windows are by Louis Barillet.
Much loved by Parisians as a place to cool off during the summer months, its outdoor pool was transformed into an ice rink in winter until the 1970s! Closed in 1989, it became a venue for street art performances. After numerous transformations, this listed historic monument became a luxury hotel. The swimming pool, famous for its blue changing rooms, stained glass windows, mosaics and Art Deco façade, has been rebuilt identically.
Did you know? The bikini was worn for the first time in July 1946 at the Molitor swimming pool during a swimsuit competition!
Hôtel Molitor Paris – MGallery – 13 rue Nungesser et Coli, Paris 16th arrondissement
More information about the Molitor swimming pool
Nearby: Don't miss the Lavirotte building at 29 avenue Rapp (7th arrondissement), a truly eccentric Art Nouveau masterpiece considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Paris. An ideal addition to your exploration of the 16th arrondissement.
