Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building complex of Carrefour Curie, located in Paris 6th arrondissement, was built between 1929 and 1932 by architect Joseph Marrast and entrepreneur Eugène Chalumeau, who was also the main sponsor. This project is part of a long urban reflection triggered by Pierre Curie's fatal accident in 1906 at the same crossroads, considered dangerous. The two asymmetrical buildings, with cement-coated facades and brick-enriched, adopt a characteristic curve. Their arrangement surrounds the rue Dauphine and dialogue with the banks of the Seine, facing Pont Neuf and the tip of the island of the Cité.

The most imposing western building is inspired by classical royal squares such as Place Vendôme in Paris or Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux. Its central body, overlooking the rue de Nevers with a pavilion roof and a carved pediment, houses a concrete relief of Carlo Sarrabezolles entitled À la glorité de la Seine. The interiors, organized according to the Haussmannian tradition, separate reception rooms and private spaces. The reinforced concrete structure allowed for a high regularity of the apartments, despite the irregularity of the overall plan.

Decorative elements, such as metal railings and ironwork doors, are the work of the Borderel and Robert workshops, under the artistic direction of Raymond Subes. The latter had already collaborated on major Art Deco projects. The ensemble, registered with the Historical Monuments in 2023, illustrates the evolution of Parisian architecture between classical tradition and technical modernity, while responding to an urban issue of security and beautification.

The project has undergone a complex development: a first preliminary project dates back to 1923, but the reconstruction of the existing buildings, intended to reduce the danger of the crossroads, dates back to the discussions following the accident of Pierre Curie. Innovative materials for the time, such as the embossed concrete or the elevators built into the wooden stairwells, demonstrate a desire to reconcile modern comfort and heritage aesthetics.

The main stairs, in view with a central day, serve mostly a large apartment per floor, according to a typical distribution of Parisian bourgeois habitat. The entrance halls, with brick walls and vaults in the middle, combine medieval influences and Art Deco. The protected rooms today include facades, roofs, halls, stairwells, and some apartments on the 5th floor, thus preserving the integrity of this unique architectural ensemble.

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