The Guimard building of the Chardon-Lagache station is an emblematic access to the Paris metro, designed by architect Hector Guimard in 1900 for the Compagnie générale du Métropolitain. This monument, characteristic of the Art Nouveau style, marks the entrance of the station opened on 30 September 1913 on line 8, before it was transferred to line 10 in 1937. It is located at the corner of the streets Chardon-Lagache and Molitor, in the 16th arrondissement, and was listed for historical monuments in 1978, then re-registered in 2016.
Chardon-Lagache station derives its name from the nearby street, paying tribute to the spouses Pierre-Alfred Chardon (1807-1879) and Amélie Lagache (1811-1887), founders of the Sainte-Périne hospital. This station is one of the few in the network to bear the name of a woman, alongside Barbès-Rochechouart or Louise Michel. Its unique access, adorned with the Guimard edicle, is an architectural vestige of the beginnings of the Paris metro, testifying to the aesthetic and urban innovation of the time.
The school survived the station's successive renovations, notably in 2006 as part of the "Metro Renewal" program, which modernized the interiors while preserving this heritage element. Although the corridors have adopted a style inspired by the former North-South company (wave green friezes), it is a historical anachronism, since line 10 was never owned by that company. The school remains today a symbol of the Parisian Art Nouveau heritage, protected for its artistic and historical value.
The station itself has an unusual configuration: a single dock serving a curved track on the Auteuil loop. This route, inherited from the topographic constraints of the 16th arrondissement, makes it a rare example of a single-track station in the network. The Guimard edicle, with its organic forms and cast iron structures, contrasts with the functional architecture of underground infrastructures, highlighting the dialogue between art and public utility.
Finally, the school is part of a broader set of Guimard's achievements for the metro, some of which have been protected since 2016. This classification covers the surrounding area of the access located at the corner of Molitor and Chardon-Lagache streets, recognizing the heritage value of these elements as witnesses to the history of Parisian transport and Art Nouveau.
