Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building located 3 rue des Déchargeurs, in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, was built in 1708 by Marie Orceau, widow Rouillé, member of the Pajot and Rouillé family, then owner of the Post Office (private company). Originally, it consists of a building on the street, another at the back of the courtyard, and a wing topped by a terrace. This place was close to Villeroy Hotel, where the Post Office was located. In the 18th century, the house grew: two terraces decorated with trellis replaced the garden, and a richly decorated dining room occupies the place of the present show hall.

In the 19th century, the building passed from the hands of the nobility of dress to those of rich traders, who turned it into shops. In 1925, its facades on street and courtyard are listed in the Inventory of Historic Monuments, but the Louis XVI staircase is not yet protected. In the 1970s, the building, left abandoned, was taken over in 1979 by Vicky Messica, who made it a theatre. After his death in 1998, his wife Lee Fou Messica and Ludovic Michel took over.

In 2001, the roofs, as well as the monumental staircase and its 18th century cage, were classified to avoid the destruction of the latter by the installation of an elevator. The theatre, faced with financial difficulties, changed owners several times: Élisabeth Bouchaud in 2018, then Adrien Grassard in 2021. In August 2023, the latter announced the deposit of balance sheet, with the real estate owner Holfim renegotiating the lease. A petition was launched to save the site, both historical and cultural.

The building thus combines architecture of the 3rd quarter of the 17th and 18th centuries with a modern theatre vocation, while embodying the challenges of preserving heritage in the face of real estate and economic pressures.

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