“Monument à vendre à Lille.” Those were the words that echoed when the Hôtel d’Avelin was put on the market.
Welcome to the Hôtel d’Avelin. It is a jewel of Lille’s architectural heritage. Erected in 1777, this building has witnessed significant moments in history.
François Augustin Anne Hubert Colette, Marquis d’Hangouart, commissioned the young architect Michel-Joseph Lequeux to design this hôtel particulier. Lequeux drew inspiration from the Hôtel Saint-Florentin. He created Lille’s first neoclassical building. The Hôtel d’Avelin replaced the old Hangouart d’Avelin hotel.
Confiscated during the Revolution, the Hôtel d’Avelin became national property. Pierre-Urbain Virnot resold it to Louis Marie Joseph de Brigode, Lille’s mayor. King Louis XVIII sought refuge here. He spent a night here in 1815 while fleeing Paris. This was during Napoleon’s return.
Later, it became the Hôtel du Maisniel. The Cercle du Nord, an elite club, established itself here in 1849. Imagine gentlemen engaging in games. Picture them in the smoking room. Think of the sounds in the library and the concert hall.
In 1887, the City of Lille acquired the Hôtel d’Avelin. It became the seat of the Rectorat. It housed the Académie de Lille. It served as the Rector’s residence until 2011. A British bomb damaged the left side of the hôtel during the war.
The city sold the Hôtel d’Avelin to Sofim in 2014. The vision was to restore it. François Bisman, a heritage architect, oversaw the project. The building was divided into private apartments. Spaces were allocated for offices and reception rooms.
Note the monumental gateway. Doric columns support grand, half-relief vases. They guard the entrance to the courtyard. Pavilions connected by grilles frame the view. The courtyard façade exudes neoclassical elegance. A simple cornice marks each floor. Columns flank the main entrance. A narrow balcony sits above. The first floor is more grand than the ground floor. Only one wing extends to the left in the courtyard. It features a long balcony on columns.
The rear façade overlooks a vast garden. Small pentagonal wings were added in 1925. Inside, a grand salon of 900 square meters awaits. The Hôtel d’Avelin is now divided into apartments.
The Hôtel d’Avelin has been listed as a historical monument since 1944. From marquis to mayor to king, this hôtel has welcomed them all. Today, its legacy continues. It stands as a testament to Lille’s rich history.