Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Paul Langevin High School, located in Suresnes (Hautes-de-Seine), is a public school built in 1927 by Mayor Henri Sellier as part of an ambitious social and urban project. Designed by architect Maurice Payret-Dortail, winner of a competition launched in 1920, it embodies the hygienist and educational ideals of the inter-war period, with modern equipment (pool, gymnasium, laboratories) and innovative architecture in brick and concrete. Originally named after his architect and then Edward Bénès, in 1948 he took the name of physicist Paul Langevin.

The school is designed as a "school group" comprising pre-schools, primary schools, upper primary schools, and practical schools of commerce and industry, meeting the needs of an expanding working population. Its architecture, marked by low buildings, luminous courses and artistic decorations (sculptures, ceramics of Sèvres, engraved maxims), breaks with the traditional austerity of schools. The materials (red brick, concrete) and techniques (central heating, ventilation) reflect a desire for durability and comfort for the 1,500 students welcomed since the 1930s.

During the Second World War, the high school became a home of resistance: teachers hid clandestine leaflets, helped students flee the STO, and participated in the struggles of the Liberation. In 1948, he was renamed in honour of Paul Langevin, symbol of scientific and humanistic values. The following decades saw its evolution towards an autonomous high school (1950), renovations (1990s), and a diversification of the educational offer, despite challenges related to social mix.

Partially classified as historical monuments (1993 for the high school and its floors, 1996 for the swimming pool and the gymnasium), the establishment retains remarkable elements such as the frescoes of Youla Chapoval, the statues of Paul Richer and Jules Dalou, or the engraved educational currencies. Today, it offers general and technological channels, as well as BTS, while fighting against a contrasting reputation due to its geographical positioning between wealthy and disadvantaged municipalities.

Its history reflects the changes in French public education, between social ambitions, architectural innovations and contemporary issues. The high school remains a major testimony of the educational utopia of the 1920s, combining technical progress, art and citizen engagement.

External links