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Key figures

Origin and history

The Guimard building of the Ternes station, located in Place des Ternes in Paris, is an access to the metro designed in 1900 by the architect Hector Guimard for the Compagnie générale du Métropolitain. It is one of the emblematic works of Art Nouveau, an architectural and decorative style that flourished at the hinge of the 19th and 20th centuries. This edicle, with its organic forms and cast iron structures, symbolizes Guimard's aesthetic innovation in the Parisian network, marking a break with previous classical styles.

The Ternes station itself was inaugurated on 7 October 1902, as part of the commissioning of the Étoile-Anvers section of Line 2 Nord (now simply Line 2 in 1907). The church, located at the limit of the 8th and 17th arrondissements, was registered as historical monuments by order of 25 July 1965, a protection renewed on 12 February 2016. This heritage recognition underscores its importance as a testimony to the history of Parisian transport and Art Nouveau architecture.

The station's access number 2, decorated with this edicle, is distinguished by its unique style, contrasting with the other more standardized entrances of the metro. Place des Ternes, where it is located, is a historic crossroads in the north-west of Paris, close to major cultural places such as the Pleyel Hall or the Cathedral of Saint-Alexandre-Nevsky. Today, it remains one of the few preserved examples of the original entrances designed by Guimard, many of which have been replaced as a result of network renovations.

Hector Guimard, master of this edicle, marked the history of Parisian architecture by applying the principles of Art Nouveau to utility infrastructures such as metro stations. His work for the Compagnie du Métropolitain, between 1900 and 1913, gave rise to nearly 141 entries, of which only a hundred remain today. Ternes' edicle, with its plant motifs and asymmetric curves, illustrates this desire to harmonize functionality and aesthetics in public space.

The 2016 protection specifically concerns the surrounding of the access located Place des Ternes, highlighting the heritage value of this element in its urban context. Unlike other stations whose edicles were demolished or moved, Ternes retained its original location, offering an authentic testimony of the artistic ambition that accompanied the modernization of Parisian transports in the early 20th century.

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