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Origin and history

The Institute of Art and Archaeology, also known as Centre Michelet, is an emblematic building in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, located at 8 avenue de l'Observatoire and 3 rue Michelet. Built between 1925 and 1928 by architect Paul Bigot, it illustrates a mixture of historical influences (Sienese, Florentine, African) and a modern reinforced concrete frame with red bricks. The project was made possible thanks to the gift of the Marquise Arconati-Visconti (3 million francs-gold) and conceived as a "laboratory d'art" around the library of Jacques Doucet, offered in 1917.

The building was organized around its central reading room, framed by corridors and classrooms. It was originally home to the famous model of Paul Bigot's Rome Plan, an educational tool destroyed in May 1968, as well as the Doucet library, transferred in 1993 to the INHA (Richelieu site). Since 1971, the institute has been shared between the UFR d'histoire de l'art of the universities Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Sorbonne Université, with a joint library opened in 1996.

Ranked a historic monument in 1996 for its facades, roofs, vestibule and library, the building is distinguished by its terracotta archeological frieze (realized by the Manufacture de Sèvres) and its ironwork grill signed Raymond Subes. Its eclectic architecture and educational vocation make it a unique testimony of the Entre-deux-guerres, combining artistic heritage and technical innovation.

Today, the Institute of Art and Archaeology hosts university departments, research centres (such as the CeRAP or CREOPS), and doctoral schools. Although the Doucet Library has left the site, the site remains a major hub for teaching and research in art history, while maintaining remarkable heritage elements, such as interior decorations and the original structure.

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