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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former CAF-CPAM of Maubeuge is part of the vast reconstruction project of the city, which was destroyed 90% in 1940 during the Second World War. In 1945, the architect and urbanist André Lurçat was appointed to oversee this reconstruction, completed in 1962. Although he designed the overall plan of the city, he built only seven buildings there, including the church of Saint Peter St Paul. The CAF (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales) and the CPAM (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie) intervene late in this process, after the rejection of Lurçat projects for the city hall. This building, located in the K island south of the city, is one of its last projects in Maubeuge, reflecting its experience in designing social security funds.

The CAF-CPAM project, carried out between 1958 and 1962, is evolving from a H-plan to a L-plan to allow future expansion. Lurçat collaborated with architects Émile Fays and Henri Lafitte (later replaced by his son Eric Lafitte), as well as with engineers. The building, designed to be welcoming and rejecting any monumentality, is distinguished by its horizontality, sobriety, and strict proportions. The facades, made of brick covered with light grey ceramic stoneware tiles and painted in part, incorporate aluminum carpentry and ventilation systems in smoky glass separations. Access is via an elevated terrace, and a garden, of which Lurçat has chosen the essences, completes the whole.

The interior, organized according to a beam-post system, offered a great modularity for the developments, ranging from individual offices to open trays. Although modifications and renovations have altered some interior spaces, there has been little change in the exterior, with the exception of the colour of projections and bay frames. The building, located in a central position, received equal care for all its facades, including lateral and rear. The garden preserves part of the original vegetation and the cement bordered beds. This project embodies the principles of the modern movement, with a desire for industrialization, rationalization and standardization, while integrating elements of greenery and light.

Ranked a Historic Monument, the building is protected for its base, facades and roofs, its constructive system, and its garden (including the courtyard and fence). This protection, effective since a decree of 4 November 2024, underscores the heritage importance of this building, a symbol of post-war reconstruction and urban innovation in Maubeuge.

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