Immeuble Art Nouveau Les Chardons

The facade of Les Chardons is covered in undulating, carved sandstone that seems to bulge outward, mimicking the rhythmic growth of giant thistles. Architect Charles Klein completed this building in nineteen oh three, filling the exterior with stone vines that climb toward the roofline. During the height of the Parisian Art Nouveau movement, Klein chose these aggressive, organic shapes to defy the standard, flat limestone fronts of his neighbors. He even earned an award for the best facade in the city that year.