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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hôtel de la Guerre, located 3 rue de l'Indépendant-Américaine in Versailles, was built in 1760 by Jean-Baptiste Berthier to centralize the services of the Ministry of War, then dispersed in Paris. This project, supported by Marshal Belle-Isle and Louis XV, aimed to optimize administrative efficiency while reducing costs. Berthier proposed an innovative construction with flat vaults (or buckwheat vaults), a technique rare in the north of France but already used in the Midi, to limit the risks of fire. The land, a former royal vegetable garden left empty, was ceded by the king. The work, begun in July 1759, ended in 18 months, with incombustible materials: bricks, plaster and tomettes, almost completely excluding wood.

The building was inaugurated in 1762 by Louis XV, who witnessed a demonstration of resistance to fire: a burning fire in a room did not spread to neighbouring rooms. During the Revolution, the ministry left Versailles for Paris, and the hotel will successively house departmental administrations, a weapons factory, and then military units. In 1798 he became a barracks for 500 soldiers, before welcoming the School of Engineering in 1884. During the Second World War, he served as a police school under the occupation and as a preparatory centre for the major schools. Since 1995, it has hosted the central management of the Defence Infrastructure Service.

Among the original elements preserved, Diane's salon is distinguished by her stucco paintings evoking the overthrow of the alliances of 1756 and six paintings by Pierre Lafant (1757–1771) commissioned by Louis XV, illustrating the Austrian War of Succession. The monumental gate, classified in 1922, has royal symbols (crown, sun) and warrior trophies, while the facade and roof were protected in 1929. The fire of the Grand Écurie de Versailles in 1751, in which Berthier had participated, would have inspired his choice of fire retardant techniques.

The Hôtel de la Guerre embodies an architectural and functional rupture: the first administrative building designed for fire safety in France, it prefigures modern standards. Its history also reflects political and military change, moving from a monarchical centralization tool to an educational and logistical site for the French army. Today, only Diane's salon and portal recall its original fascist, while its utility structure continues in its current use.

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