Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Wagram Hall is an iconic showroom in Paris, located between Avenue de Wagram and Rue de Montenotte, in the 17th arrondissement. Opened in 1812 under the name of Bal Dourlans, it was originally a guinguette created by a veteran of the Imperial Guard, taking advantage of its position outside the walls of the General Farmers to escape the granting on wines. This bucolic place, with its tonnelles and its garden, quickly became a high place of Parisian life, attracting a clientele eager for dances such as waltz or quadrilles under the Restoration.

In 1865, architect Adrien Fleuret, already author of the Marigny theatre, rebuilt the room in a luxurious style, with a vault decorated with chandeliers of Bohemia and a painted ceiling inscribed with historical monuments in 1981. The site consists of two superimposed spaces: the Wagram room (800 m2) and the Montenotte room (600 m2), accessible by a long corridor or a monumental staircase after 2005. Under the Second Empire, the place embodies aristocratic carelessness, with its love groves and sumptuous bals, before becoming a versatile venue welcoming concerts, political congresses and exhibitions.

In the 20th century, the Wagram Hall established itself as a temple of cultural and sporting modernity. It hosts the first Salon du Cycle in 1894, legendary boxing (Marcel Cerdan, Georges Carpentier), and prestigious musical recordings, such as those of Maria Callas or Herbert von Karajan. The venue is also marked by political events, such as the 1900 Socialist Congress opposing Jaurès and Guesde, or mythical jazz evenings with Sidney Bechet and Duke Ellington in the 1940s-1950s.

Ranked a historic monument for its decor, the Wagram Hall crosses the eras by combining heritage and innovation. After the explosion of the Empire Theatre in 2005, its restoration modernizes its access while preserving its historic character. Today, it remains a symbol of Parisian nights, from the student dances of the 4.

Its history reflects the changes in Paris, from a peri-urban guinguette place to a must-see cultural space, associated with figures such as the Countess of Wagram, Marius Combes (a 1920s patron), and artists such as Serge Gainsbourg and Claude François. The room thus embodies the diversity of Parisian leisure, from the 19th century to the present.

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