Opening of the station 1903 (≈ 1903)
Inauguration under the name *Rue of Germany* (line 2).
1er août 1914
Change of name
Change of name 1er août 1914 (≈ 1914)
Renamed *Jaurès* after the assassination of Jean Jaurès.
29 mai 1978
First ranking
First ranking 29 mai 1978 (≈ 1978)
Registration as a historical monument.
12 février 2016
New protection
New protection 12 février 2016 (≈ 2016)
Classification renewal.
2017
Vegetation
Vegetation 2017 (≈ 2017)
Addition of climbing plants around the edicle.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Hector Guimard - Architect
Creator of the Art Nouveau buildings of the metro.
Jean Jaurès - Politician
Posthumous tribute by the name of the station.
Origin and history
The Guimard building of the Jaurès station is an emblematic element of the Parisian architectural heritage, designed by Hector Guimard in the Art Nouveau style. It is one of the historic entrances of the Paris metro, characteristic of the 1900s, with its organic shapes and ornamented cast iron structures. This edicle, now closed to the public, has been listed as a historic monument since 1978 and again in 2016, demonstrating its outstanding heritage value.
The Jaurès station, to which this edicle is associated, was inaugurated in 1903 under the name Rue d'Allemagne, before being renamed in 1914 in tribute to Jean Jaurès, a socialist figure murdered on the eve of the First World War. The school, located on Boulevard de la Villette, is integrated into a disused secondary exit, transformed into an emergency exit. Its style reflects Guimard's innovative aesthetic, marked by asymmetric curves and plant motifs, symbols of the artistic modernity of the time.
In 2017, RATP undertook vegetation of the vicinity of the station, including the space under the viaduct of line 2, where the structure is located. This project, led by Les Jardins de Babylon, added climbing plants and planters on the cast iron pillars, strengthening the dialogue between industrial heritage and nature. The school, although not accessible, remains a major visual landmark for residents and architecture enthusiasts.
The Guimard de Jaurès is part of a larger set of 141 similar entrances ordered between 1900 and 1913 for the Paris metro. Only 86 remain today, some of which have been displaced or replicated. The one by Jaurès, preserved in situ, illustrates the adaptation of the Art Nouveau style to urban constraints, with a structure both functional and ornamental. Its ranking among historical monuments underlines its importance in the history of transport and urban design.
Unlike the main accesses of the station, equipped with modern stairs and elevators, this edicle embodies a later era in which the aesthetics of the metro entrances were conceived as a work of total art. Its state of conservation, while protected, reflects the challenges of preserving industrial heritage in a constantly changing urban environment. The Jaurès station itself, with its three lines (2, 5, 7 bis), is a major node in the network, but the Guimard building remains the most emblematic element in history.
