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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The city of Paris-Campagne, located in Revin in the Ardennes, is a former working-class city built in the mid-war (1924-1926) by Biard and Cie (also known as Brichet, Biond and Compagnie). It is intended to house its employees — mainly effervators and moulders — and consists of 24 houses organized along a narrow street, linking Waldeck-Rousseau Street to Jean Jaurès Square. Each unique facade features geometric decorations in yellow or white enamelled bricks, riveted steel lintels, and various skylights, reflecting rare aesthetic research for this type of social housing. The houses, with a floor and a garden, vary in size according to their location, with more spacious angles.

Sold by auction to a private owner in the 2000s, the city was bought in 2010 by the social economy company Habitat Pact Ardennes, as part of a rehabilitation project estimated at 2 million euros. Supported by the State and the Fondation Abbé-Pierre, this project aims to transform the 24 initial housing units into 18 social housing units, in line with eco-construction standards. The city, classified as historical monuments in 2012, symbolizes the evolution of the heritageization of industrial ensembles in France, combining architectural preservation and social function.

The inscription of the city (façades and roofs) by order of 31 December 2012 covers a remarkable ensemble for its urban unity and its decorative diversity. Slate roofs, cellar sighs, and gables add to its typical character. Today owned by a private not-for-profit company, the city of Paris-Campagne embodies both an Ardennes industrial heritage and a model of revitalisation of workers' housing, planned to accommodate tenants in 2015.

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