Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The theatre Les Déchargeurs occupies a private hotel built in 1708 by Marie Orceau, widow Rouillé, member of the Pajot and Rouillé family, then owner of the Post Office, private company located nearby in the Villeroy hotel. The building, located in the Halles district, initially consisted of a street building, a body of houses at the bottom of the courtyard and a wing surmounted by a terrace. In the 18th century, the property expanded, losing its garden to terraces decorated with trellis, and housed a richly decorated dining room, now replaced by the entertainment hall.

In 1925, the facades on street and courtyard were listed in the Inventory of Historic Monuments, but the site fell into disuse in the 1970s. Rached in 1979 by Vicky Messica, he became a theatre, before being taken over by his widow, Lee Fou Messica, and Ludovic Michel in 1998. In 2001, the roofs, the monumental staircase and its 18th century cage were classified, thus preserving key elements of its architecture. The theatre changed hands several times: Élisabeth Bouchaud in 2018, then Adrien Grassard in 2021, before closing definitively in 2023 after a deposit of balance sheet, marked by tensions with the new property owner.

The history of the place reflects the urban and social transformations of Paris, moving from an aristocratic hotel linked to the Royal Post Office to an emblematic cultural space. Its architecture, combining 18th century classicism and modern redevelopments, bears witness to its constant adaptation. Safeguarding campaigns, such as the 2001 ranking or the "take a chair" operation in 2014, illustrate efforts to reconcile heritage preservation with economic viability, in a constantly changing neighbourhood from medieval Halls to modernity.

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