Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building located at 25bis rue Franklin in the 16th arrondissement of Paris is an emblematic building of the early 20th century. Built in 1903 by architects Auguste and Gustave Perret on their own behalf, it marks a major architectural break. Completely made of reinforced concrete (Hennebique system), it eliminates traditional carrier walls, thus introducing the revolutionary concept of the free plane. The frame, executed by the company Latron and Vincent, is masked by sandstone panels created by ceramicist Alexandre Bigot, combining technical innovation and careful aesthetics.

The facade is distinguished by two bowlows without console, a structural audacity for the time. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1966 for its facades and covers, this report building illustrates the vanguard of the Perret brothers, precursors of modern architecture. Its location in a bourgeois district of Paris also highlights its role in the urban and social evolution of the capital at the turn of the century.

The choice of reinforced concrete, which is still unknown for the houses, reflects the willingness of the Perrets to demonstrate the possibilities of this material. The building, both technical laboratory and practical realization, prefigures the great ensembles of the twentieth century. Its inscription in the inventory of Historic Monuments devotes its heritage importance, both for its architecture and for its influence on subsequent generations of architects.

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