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Origin and history

The Guimard building of the Alexandre Dumas station is an access to the Paris metro, designed in 1900 by the architect Hector Guimard for the Compagnie générale du Métropolitain. This model, characteristic of the Art Nouveau style, was installed at the inauguration of line 2 in 1903. The station, originally named Bagnolet with reference to the eponymous street, was renamed in 1970 to avoid confusion with the Porte de Bagnolet station of Line 3. The church, located boulevard de Charonne in front of n°111, is the only access of the station and was inscribed to historical monuments by order of 29 May 1978, a protection renewed on 12 February 2016.

Alexandre Dumas station, on the edge of the 11th and 20th arrondissements, is located in an area marked by emblematic places such as the Père-Lachaise cemetery or the Saint-Jean-Bosco church. Opened on January 31, 1903 as the temporary terminus of Line 2 North, it became a crossing station after the extension to Nation on April 2, 1903. His present name pays tribute to the writer Alexandre Dumas (1802–70), whose name is a nearby street. The Guimard edicle, with its organic forms and cast iron structures, illustrates the aesthetic innovation of the entrances to the Paris metro at the beginning of the 20th century.

The access, consisting of a fixed staircase adorned with the edicle, is a rare vestige of the 167 original entrances designed by Guimard, some 100 of which remain today. The monumental protection specifically covers the surrounding of the access located boulevard de Charonne, emphasizing its heritage importance. In 2016, RATP integrated this edicle into a campaign to restore Guimard elements, reaffirming its status as an icon of the Parisian industrial and artistic heritage.

Beyond its functional role, the edicle embodies the desire of the City of Paris and the Compagnie du Métropolitain to embellish the entrances of the underground railway network, transforming utility infrastructures into accessible works of art. Its style, marked by asymmetric curves and plant motifs, contrasts with the surrounding Haussmann architecture, while integrating harmoniously. Today, it attracts both metro users and lovers of history and design.

The station itself underwent several renovations, such as corridor and lighting renovations in 2005 as part of the Metro Renewal program. In 2019, it was also the pilot site for the installation of Ip'Air air purifiers, reflecting contemporary air quality issues in public transport. Despite these modernizations, Guimard remains an unchanged testimony of the golden age of the Parisian metro and its artistic heritage.

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