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Key figures

Origin and history

The Guimard building of the Europe station is an emblematic element of the Parisian metro, designed by architect Hector Guimard in the Art Nouveau style. Located at the intersection of Rome Street and Madrid Street, it marks the unique access to Europe Station, opened in 1904 on Line 3. This edicle, inscribed in historical monuments since 1978, symbolizes the visual identity of the metro entrances at the beginning of the twentieth century, when Paris modernized its urban transport.

The Europe station, which is the only access to the station, draws its name from the eponymous square surrounded by streets with names of European cities (Rome, London, Milan, etc.). Opened on 19 October 1904 with the Villiers–Père Lachaise section, it was renovated in 2000 as part of the "Metro Renewal" program. In 2018, his name was completed by "Simone-Veil" in tribute to the political figure, the first president of the European Parliament.

The Guimard edicle, characteristic with its organic shapes and cast iron structures, is one of the few copies still in place among the 141 originally installed. Although the station has lost its digital screens installed for the centenary of the metro (moved up in the 2020s), it remains a major architectural testimony of the Parisian industrial era. The station's moderate attendance (about 1.6 million annual travellers before 2020) reflects its role in a residential and administrative area.

The neighbourhood of Europe, designed in the 19th century, illustrates the Haussmann urbanisation with its wide avenues and European cultural references. The Guimard edicle, by its aesthetics and function, embodies the desire to combine public utility and artistic beauty, a principle dear to Guimard. Today, it attracts both metro users and architectural enthusiasts, highlighting its dual status as a functional and heritage object.

In 2018, the station was renamed "Europe - Simone-Veil", adding a memorial dimension to this site. Simone Veil, a survivor of the Shoah and a European figure, became one of the few women honoured in the toponymy of the Parisian metro. This addition reflects a desire to diversify historical references in public space, while preserving Guimard's architectural heritage.

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