Located in the heart of Paris, the historical ensemble of 103 rue de Grenelle, erected in 1848 as the headquarters for the Administration centrale du télégraphe, is known for its famous Tour Chappe, named after the inventor of the optical telegraph, used in France from the Revolution to the Second Empire. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the building underwent many additions that embraced the rapid growth of telecommunication technologies. In 1878, it hosted the first Ministry of Post and Communications. In 1935, the first television broadcast took place there. From the 1960’s to the early 2000’s, France Telecom was its latest occupant.

Rich in history, this ensemble was acquired in 2006 by Société Foncière Lyonnaise. With PCA, it undertook a major renovation and architectural modernization project. Through a careful study and close collaboration with the architects of Bâtiments de France, this restructuring was conducted with the desire to restore and enhance its architectural heritage. Large original volumes and remarkable details of its metallic architecture had been restored without losing any floor-space.

Completed in 2009, the new site includes 16.000 square meters of contemporary office space, including a company restaurant, a business center, and an auditorium. Importantly, it received the first HQE (high environment quality) certification for a stone building.

PCA wanted to preserve both the building’s history and its human story. Designed in collaboration with the Franco-Brazilian artists Detanico and Lain, an alphabet, inspired by that of Chappe, is spread throughout the building, floor by floor. Visual systems are present on the landings and in the restrooms. They replicate an excerpt from the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, in which the hero compares the telegraph, this « thing that has often had the dreaming for hours on end », to « an immense beetle ».

Product Spec Sheet

Save

Cancel Delete

Are you sure you want to delete this placement from GRENELLE - Restructuring of the former headquarters of Telegraph in the protected sector of Paris ?

Delete

Cancel

Edit product

Were your products used?

Join as a manufacturer to add your products.