Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Tuileries station, located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris on line 1 of the metro, was inaugurated on 19 July 1900 when the first section between Porte de Vincennes and Porte Maillot came into service. This launch officially marked the birth of the Parisian metropolitan network. His name pays tribute to the garden of adjacent Tuileries, himself heir to ancient medieval tiles that inspired his denomination. The station, north-west/south-east orientation, is located between Concorde and Palais-Royal - Louvre Museum, under Rue de Rivoli, close to the garden.

Between May 1963 and December 1964, the Tuileries docks were extended from 75 to 90 metres to accommodate the new MP 59 to six cars, replacing the old Sprague-Thomson equipment. This extension, carried out via a "crypt" at the western end, was designed to reduce the congestion of a saturated line 1 after World War II. The upgrade includes a green metal bodywork, gilded advertising frames, and white Motte-style seats, creating a contrast with the ceiling green beams. These economic and rapid improvements were typical of the post-war renovations on the network.

For the 100th anniversary of the metro in 2000, the station was redesigned with a cultural decoration evoking the 20th century, via thematic panels illustrated per decade. Colourful lighting on the vaults, later replaced by a uniform white, complemented this development. In 2008, as part of the automation of line 1, the docks were upgraded to accommodate pallet doors installed in 2010. Finally, in May 2023, the panels were replaced by a vegetal fresco by artist Cyprien Chabert, echoing the Tuileries Garden, accompanied by emerald green enamelled plates.

The two Guimard edicles adorning the accesses Rue de Rivoli (no 206 and 210), designed by architect Hector Guimard, have been classified as historical monuments since 1978, with renewed protection in 2016. These cast iron and glass structures, emblematic of Art Nouveau, symbolize the visual identity of the Parisian metro from its very beginning. Their preservation illustrates the heritage value given to these architectural elements, despite their initial utility function.

In 2019, the station welcomed 2.6 million passengers, ranking 190th out of 302 in attendance. The Covid-19 crisis brought this figure down to 1.2 million in 2020 (205th place), before a partial recovery in 2021 with 1.8 million entrants. These data reflect its moderate role in the network compared to more central stations. Today, Tuileries combines historical heritage (vegetable resins, Guimard edicles) and modernity (palier doors, LED lighting), while serving major sites such as the Tuileries Garden, the Museum of Decorative Arts, or Place Vendôme.

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