Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Ancien Garde-Meuble, now known as Hotel de la Marine, is a majestic building located Place de la Concorde in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Built in the second half of the 18th century by architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel, it embodies the classical elegance of Parisian urbanism during the reign of Louis XV. Originally, this building housed the Crown Furniture Guard, an institution responsible for preserving royal furniture, art objects and tapestries, reflecting the fascination of the French monarchy.

Ranked Historic Monument by certificate on May 31, 1923, the Navy Hotel has experienced several assignments over the centuries. Although the sources refer to its relationship with the Ministry of the Navy (heir to the Secretariat of State of the Navy under the Old Regime), the precise details of this transition remain unclear in the available texts. Its architecture, attributed to Gabriel — also known for the Place de la Concorde and the Petit Trianon — makes it a symbol of Parisian heritage, mixing royal history and subsequent administrative functions.

The information available does not specify the major changes to the building in the 19th or 20th centuries, or its exact role during periods of conflict such as the First World War, unlike other ministries such as the War. Today, the Hotel de la Marine remains an emblematic place, open to the visit, and illustrates the continuity between the monarchy of Paris and the modern capital. Its official address, 2 Place de la Concorde, makes it a central point of Parisian heritage, close to the Tuileries and the Seine.

The source text also mentions possible confusion with other government departments (War, Defense, Air), but does not detail any internal developments or significant events specific to this building. Its classification as Historic Monuments, however, underscores its architectural importance and its anchoring in French institutional history, from the Ancien Régime to the contemporary era.

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