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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The working-class city Les Dents de Scie was built in 1931 in Trappes (Yvelines) by architects Henri Gutton and his son André to house the railwaymen of the State Railway Company. Inspired by hygienist theories and the "minimum habitat", each 66 m2 pavilion includes a private garden, laundry room and modern amenities. Its name comes from alignment through houses, evoking a saw blade.

Initiated under the Loucheur Law of 1928 on Cheap Housing (HBM), this garden city reflects the social ambitions of the inter-war period. Raoul Dautry, Director of Railways, played a key role in the development of these functional and pleasant housing units, close to railway infrastructure. Three pavilions, destroyed during the Second World War, were rebuilt in concrete.

Threatened by destruction, the city was saved by the mobilization of tenants and the commune. It was listed in 1992 for its facades, roofs and gardens and was rehabilitated in 1997 by architect Antoine Grumbach. Today owned by the Interdepartmental Public Office Essonne-Val-d-Oise-Yvelines, it embodies a major social and architectural heritage.

Community life has always been marked by strong solidarity between railway families. In 1996, thirteen original residents were still living there. The city also served as a setting for films such as Holy Motors (2012) by Leos Carax or Adieu les cons (2020) by Albert Dupontel, strengthening its cultural influence.

Its architecture, combining roof-terrace, stilts and free façades, is inspired by the principles of Le Corbusier. The original materials (bricks covered with coated plates in 1938) and the 45° arrangement of the pavilions make this a unique example of a French garden city. The label "Heritage of the twentieth century" was awarded to him by the Ministry of Culture.

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