Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

La Coupole is a Parisian brewery opened on December 20, 1927 by Ernest Fraux and René Lafon, in the 14th arrondissement, on the boulevard du Montparnasse. Designed to compete with neighbouring literary cafes such as Le Dome, it quickly became a must-see place in All-Paris during the inter-war period. Its inauguration, presided over by Gastronomist Curnonsky, marks the climax of the neighborhood with a fabulous party where champagne flows. The building, despite the challenges posed by the old underground quarries, relies on a luxurious Art Deco decoration and a large space, including a dancing opened in 1928.

La Coupole attracts a clientele of prestigious artists and intellectuals. From its opening, figures such as Jean Cocteau, Foujita, Kisling, or Josephine Baker attended it, followed in the 1930s by Picasso, Simone de Beauvoir, Sartre, and Edith Piaf. The pillars of the hall, decorated in 1927 by 27 painters of Montparnasse (including Othon Friesz and Marie Vassilieff), testify to this creative effervescence. A legend says that the artists were paid for drinks, but a 1993 bill revealed a payment of 23,000 francs for these works.

In the 1980s, La Coupole again became an artistic home with the movement of free figuration. A competition was held in 1985 to restore a damaged pillar, won by Ricardo Mosner. In 1988, Michel Bourbon added a 33rd pillar, paying tribute to historical figures such as Hemingway or Foujita. The brewery, classified as a historic monument in 1988 for its ground floor hall, was purchased by the Flo Group in 1987 and then by the Bertrand Group in 2018. Its legacy continues, between memory of the Crazy Years and tourist attraction.

The artistic heritage of La Coupole was enriched in 1993 with La Terre, a bronze sculpture by Louis Derbré installed in the centre of the restaurant. This work, initially rotary, finds replicas in Tokyo and La Défense. The place also inspires literature and cinema: Pierre Boulle places a new one there, Simenon evokes in a novel by Commissioner Maigret, and scenes of films like Monsieur Klein (1976) or La Boum (1980) are shot there. Today, the brewery combines historical heritage and modernity, with a mirror façade added during its elevation.

Architecturally, La Coupole is the work of architects Barillet and Le Bouc, with an interior decoration supervised by Solvet. The building, originally equipped with a summer restaurant upstairs (covered with a glass dome in 1931), was raised in the 1980s to accommodate offices. Despite these transformations, the ground floor room, classified, retains its Art Deco soul and its role as a witness to the Parisian avant-gardes. The paintings of the pillars, although certain powers remain uncertain (such as that of Fernand Léger), form a unique ensemble, symbol of the montparnassian bohemian.

Future

The ground floor hall was listed as historic monuments by an order of 12 January 1988.
La Coupole is a brewery frequented by many tourists looking for the spirit described by Hemingway in Paris is a party.

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