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Origin and history

The Guimard building of Parmentier station, located at the corner of Avenue Parmentier and Rue Édouard-Lockroy in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, is a metro access designed in 1900 by architect Hector Guimard for the Compagnie générale du Métropolitain de Paris. It is one of the emblematic entrances of the network, recognizable by their Art Nouveau style, and was registered as historical monuments by order of 29 May 1978, a protection renewed on 12 February 2016. This edicle marks the entrance to a station opened on October 19, 1904, when the first section of line 3 between Villiers and Père Lachaise came into service.

The Parmentier station owes its name to its proximity to the eponymous avenue, which pays tribute to agronomist Antoine Parmentier (1737-1813), famous for promoting potato consumption in France. The church, the only access to the station, is a rare testimony of Guimard's achievements for the Paris metro, many of which have disappeared or been modified. Its inscription as a historical monument covers all the remaining elements of Guimard, highlighting its heritage importance in the Parisian urban landscape.

In the 1960s, the station's wharfs underwent modernization with a green and gold metal carrossing, before being painted white in the 1990s. A cultural decoration dedicated to Antoine Parmentier and the potato, including a statue and showcases of pre-Columbian objects, was added. The church, meanwhile, remains a preserved example of Guimard's functional and aesthetic architecture, characteristic of the beginnings of the Paris metro.

The Parmentier station, with its classified edicle, illustrates the evolution of the Paris metro, combining historical heritage and modernity. Its access, still in place at 88 bis avenue Parmentier, is a tangible vestige of the Art Nouveau era and the history of urban transport. The 2016 protection confirms its status as a major heritage element, linked to the visual identity of the metro and Guimard's legacy.

In 2025, Parmentier station remained one of the last five in the network to retain its 1960s bodywork, reinforcing its historical interest. The school, for its part, continues to symbolize the entrance into an underground universe where history, culture and technical innovation blend together, while honouring the memory of Antoine Parmentier and his agricultural heritage.

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