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Origin and history

The Campo-Formio metro entrance, located boulevard de l'Hôpital in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, is one of 167 accesses designed by architect Hector Guimard for the Paris network at the very beginning of the 20th century. Urgently ordered for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, these entries mark the climax of Art Nouveau in France, with their curved lines, modern materials (bottom, glass, enamelled lava) and stylized plant aesthetics. Guimard, although not a winner of the initial competition, was chosen in January 1900 to dress the subway mouths, thanks to his daring sketches and his experience with the Castel Béranger.

The column of Campo-Formio, like Guimard's other works, is distinguished by its candelabras in the form of "strands of muguette", its openworked shields evoking insect shells, and its "Metropolitan" signs with Art Nouveau lettering. These elements, produced in series by the Fonderie d'art du Val d'Osne and Eugène Gillet for enamelled panels, were installed between 1900 and 1913. Despite their initial success, the Guimard entrances fell into disuse after World War I, victims of changes in taste and the rise of Art Deco. Many were destroyed, but the remaining ones, like Campo-Formio, were protected from the 1960s.

Campo-Formio station, served by line 5 opened in 1906, maintains a typical escutcheon entourage, which has been listed as a historical monument since 2016. This access illustrates Guimard's desire to merge art and industry, standardizing decorative modules while preserving a unique aesthetic. The original colours – grey green for the metal, orange for the verrines – and stylized plant motifs reflect its ideal harmony between structure and decor. Today, these once controversial entrances have become emblems of the Parisian heritage and the Belle Époque.

Guimard's choice for this project was tainted by polemics, particularly because of his style considered too avant-garde by some conservatives. The Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris (CMP) also accused him of budgetary overruns and delays, leading to a rupture in 1903. Despite this, his models continued to be reproduced until 1913. The surroundings of Campo-Formio, like the 86 other protected works, benefited from careful restorations from the 1990s aimed at finding original materials and colours.

Beyond their utility function, the Guimard entrances, including that of Campo-Formio, inspired artists and filmmakers, becoming symbols of Paris in the same way as the Eiffel Tower. Their influence even spread abroad, with replicas offered to cities like Montreal or exhibited in American museums. Today, they bear witness to Guimard's creative audacity and the aesthetic revolution he incarna, between industrialization and organic poetry.

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