The building at number 2 Rue Etraz is striking in the care taken over its appearance. It was built in 1937 by the architect Jacques Favarger, one of the most important local architects of the time. He designed three other similar buildings and made a nearly complete block.
Renovation had been planned for the Etraz neighbourhood since the 1920s. Jacques Favarger worked nearby and provided several projects, treating the area like a modern gate to the city, designing dynamic and monumental blocks. In the end he only completed number 2.
The north side combines clean modern lines with careful decoration using a rich array of materials to differentiate between the two parts. The first three levels, housing stores and offices, present concrete columns and large bay windows.
The next five, dedicated to housing, are dressed in travertine marble with terracotta brick siding. It all comes to life with a mixture of overhangs and setbacks that enhance the sensation of height. To the south, at Rue de l’Ecole-Supérieure 3, a second, lower part of the building offsets the sloping terrain.
