Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Coignard Hotel is a private hotel built in Nogent-sur-Marne, in Val-de-Marne, between the end of the 17th and 18th centuries. Its facades, inspired by the "brick and stone" style in vogue under Henry IV and Louis XIII, are actually made of plaster, a typical economic adaptation of the period. The building, acquired in 1713 by the Coignard family, underwent transformations in the 18th century, including the addition of an entrance door, a staircase and a carved pediment. Originally, it included a two-storey gallery, a company room, a chapel and an apartment for the chaplain.

In 1991, the hotel's facades, roofs and main stairway were listed as historical monuments. Over the centuries, the building has undergone several structural changes: a north wing demolished in the 19th century was replaced by a tower overhanging in the early 20th century, when the municipality became its owner. Two windows were also added to the ground floor. Today, the hotel houses municipal services such as the police station and the justice of peace, as well as cultural spaces, including the Francis Poulenc Conservatory and the Old Nogent Museum, inaugurated in 1961.

The exhibition space Le Carré des Coignard, located on the ground floor, hosts about ten annual exhibitions (paintings, sculptures) and thematic events during Heritage Days or the Sustainable Development Festival. Since 2010, the association L'Académie des vins blancs has also been established. The building thus illustrates the contemporary reappropriation of a historical heritage, combining administrative, cultural and associative functions.

Jean-Baptiste Coignard, the ordinary printer-library of the King and the French Academy, is closely linked to the history of this hotel. His family, who had been the owner since 1713, marked the building with improvements reflecting his social status. The hotel thus bears witness to the architectural and social transformations of Nogent-sur-Marne, from its aristocratic origin to its current public use.

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