Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

The Lecoutux look, also known as the Lanterne look, is a hydraulic structure built between 1583 and 1613 in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. It was part of the Belleville Water System, an aqueduct system designed to bring spring water from Belleville Hill to buildings on the right bank. This main look, of cylindrical stone shape and surmounted by a dome and a lantern, served both as a control point and as access to the underground network. Inside, a double staircase descends to a basin where drained water was collected.

The monument is located at the intersection of Compans Street and Belleville Street, in the garden of Regard-de-la-Lanterne, accessible from 3 Augustin-Thierry Street. It was first classified as a historic monument in 1899, and a new classification in 2006 included all the works related to the waters of Belleville. This historic hydraulic system bears witness to the techniques of water management in Paris at the hinge of the 16th and 17th centuries, when the city was experiencing significant population and urban growth.

The Lecoutux look illustrates modern hydraulic engineering, combining practical utility and neat architecture. Its distinctive stone lantern probably illuminated the interior or signaled its presence. Today, there remains a rare vestige of this water supply system that fed certain Parisian neighbourhoods before the development of modern networks. The site is served by the Place des Fêtes and Télégraphe metro stations, facilitating its access to the public.

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