Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Pagoda was built in 1896 by architect Alexandre Marcel as a gift from François-Émile Morin, director of the Bon Marché, to his wife. This Japanese pavilion, inspired by the Japanese fashion, became a place of sumptuous receptions. In 1896 he was assigned to Joseph Plassard, a partner of Morin, after his divorce. After Morin's wife's death in 1917, Plassard and his new wife, Antoinette Mougel, continued to organize parties there until 1927, the date of his temporary closure.

In 1931 La Pagode reopened as a cinema, pioneer of 7th art in the district. During the occupation, it was closed and served as a refuge for resistance fighters. From 1944, she reprogrammed American films and became an emblematic place of Parisian cinema. Under the direction of Yvonne Décaris (1955-1967), she specialized in the films of authors such as Bergman or Eisenstein, and welcomed prestigious firsts, such as that of the Testament of Orpheus by Jean Cocteau in 1959.

In 1972, Louis Malle modernized the site by adding a second room and tea room, with the help of architects Luce Eekman and François Debulois. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1990 for its façade, roofs and large hall, La Pagoda was also the scene of significant events, such as the Quinzaine of homosexual cinema in 1978, disturbed by extreme right-wing violence. Closed in 2015 for renovation, it was the subject of controversy in 2020 after the slaughter of its century-old trees to enlarge the rooms.

The garden, classified in 1983 and 2018, and interior decorative elements (such as the wall panels stolen in 2021) bear witness to its artistic heritage. Private property since its construction, La Pagode was sold in 1985 to Elizabeth Dauchy, then in 2017 to the American magnate Charles S. Cohen. Its reopening, planned in 2023 with four rooms, is part of an expanded cultural project including a center dedicated to French cinema in the neighbouring building.

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