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Origin and history

The former Loge du Change, built between 1631 and 1653 by architect Simon Gourdet, was initially a place dedicated to Lyon's financial exchanges. This small classical building, with four arcades on its façade, quickly became insufficient to accommodate stock market activities. Despite this need for enlargement, no major changes were made until the mid-18th century.

In 1748 the architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot, assisted by Jean-Baptiste Roche, undertook a complete renovation of the building. The adjacent houses were destroyed to allow the addition of a fifth arcade on the façade and a large rectangular room on the back, covered with an imperial vault. The façade of the first floor was completely redesigned, inspired by 16th century Italian models while maintaining a "French" structure. During the Revolution, the lodge, abandoned, served briefly as a hostel.

In 1803 Napoleon assigned the building to the Reformed Protestant cult, in accordance with the organic articles of 1802. The temple was inaugurated on November 14, 1803, marking the beginning of its religious vocation. In the 19th century, minor interior improvements were made, but the structure remained largely unchanged. In 1938, the temple hosted the founding synod of the Reformed Church of France, resulting from the fusion of several Protestant currents.

The façade was classified as a historical monument in 1913, followed by the inscription of the entire building, including a perron, in 2013. Between 2015 and 2023, the city of Lyon carried out important restoration work to preserve this major witness of the 18th century Lyon architecture and the work of Soufflot. The temple remains today an active place of worship and a symbol of Protestantism in France.

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