Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The annex to the headquarters of the Lyon Credit, located at 6 rue Ménars in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, is a building built in 1908 by architect André-Félix Narjoux. Designed to accommodate the bank's administrative services – including a printing shop and a canteen – this building illustrates the utilitarian and elegant architecture of the early twentieth century, mixing brick, wrought iron and cut stone. Its roof terrace, built in a garden, and its street façade, protected since 1977, testify to the importance attached to the industrial aesthetics of the period.

The parcel was initially leased, then acquired in 1891 by the Compagnie des agents de change, before being transformed for the purposes of Credit Lyonnais. Although the interior was almost completely destroyed during recent renovations (2013-2014), the classified facade was preserved thanks to a technique of fascidism, thus preserving its historical aspect while allowing for modernization of the interior spaces. This choice reflects the contemporary tensions between heritage preservation and functional adaptation of buildings.

The building is part of a larger architectural complex, linked to the expansion of the Lyon Credit in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. Its protection as historical monuments underscores its role in the banking and urban history of the capital, as well as the symbolic value of its style, characteristic of the technical and aesthetic innovations of the period.

External links