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La Maison des Métallos re-opens in Paris

A new chapter opens in this venerable building’s history…


I used to live not far from the Maison des Métallos (which could be translated as ‘the house of the metal workers’). For a long time it seemed liked a sort of glorified squat, with political debates and jungle sound systems sharing the same space. Adding to this impression, the building was in a very poor state of repair. Finally, a few years ago, it closed. However, writing this post has helped me understand the history of the building better.

It was initially a factory for making wind instruments in the 19th Century. In 1936 it was bought by “l’Union fraternelle des métallurgistes”, part of the CGT workers union. However, at the end of the 1990s, the CGT’s money problems forced them into selling the building, and a campaign to get the Paris city council to buy it (thus saving it from being made into a supermarket or offices) succeeded! After nearly three years of complete renovation, the building reopened at the beginning of November 2007.

In a culturally diverse part of Paris (an area with many immigrant families) and historically linked with political activism, and an outlet for ‘alternative’ arts, the new Maison des Métallos is now a cultural centre that wil try to take into account its history and surroundings, providing not only a platform for political and social debate, but also theatre and dance. Few places in Paris cater for this sort of mix, and it will be interesting to see how the two co-habit.

A full program has yet to be released, but the building itself is worth visiting quickly if you are interested to see how 19th Century architecture can be transformed in a 21st Century arts space.

We had a good look round, and you can see all of photos here on Flickr. Or have a look at the selection below (click on the far left or right to navigate, or use the slider at the bottom of the photos).

The Maison des Métallos is at 94 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud (métro Parmentier (line 3) or Couronnes (line 2), bus 96. Check out their site here (unfortunately only in English for the moment).


Bigger map here