We have driven and walked in my eternal Paris, and would like to have an imprint in my blog on the wonderful family times we had there, There is so much to see , doing my best, and glad found me this picture in my cd rom vault ,which now transposing in my blog for you and me, This is an unusual post for me as this is a bank rather off the beaten path site but full of architecture and history that would worth the detour, me think, I thank you for your readership since 2010, and to bear with my rants! After all Paris is to rant, shout and yelled about, me think. Therefore, here is my take on the building of the former Crédit Lyonnais in Paris !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The headquarters of the former Crédit Lyonnais today LCL are located at 17-23 Boulevard des Italiens,(see post) is a landmark of Parisian commercial architecture from the last quarter of the 19C. It is situated within the block formed by Boulevard des Italiens, Rue de Gramont, Rue du Quatre-Septembre, and Rue de Choiseul in the 2éme arrondissement of Paris. Aka the Hôtel des Italiens, the building is owned by LCL – Crédit Lyonnais. This site is served by the metro line 3 Quatre-Septembre and lines 8 and 9 Richelieu-Drouot stations.
The stone cladding, a traditional symbol of wealth, conceals a metal framework, partly constructed by Gustave Eiffel’s company. The office space is organized on several levels, on either side of a gallery lit by a glass roof: no partitions fragment this open space, visible to the public and the entire hierarchy. A lobby is located at each end of the building, each illuminated by a 21-meter-high glass roof designed by Gustave Eiffel’s workshop. The one on the Boulevard des Italiens side is more impressive than the one on the Rue du Quatre-Septembre side. Its upper floors house the offices of the bank’s senior management. The securities room of the time, like the building’s framework, was designed as a metal hall by the Eiffel company. Outside, on the Boulevard des Italiens, the bank’s central pavilion is inspired by the Clock Pavilion of the Louvre Palace. The roof is reminiscent of the Pavillon de Flore. The pavilion features a double Serlian arch, that is, a group of three bays, the central bay being the tallest with a semicircular arch, while the side bays are covered by a lintel. The pediment is an allegory of banking activities: it represents the Bank distributing credit, surrounded by Commerce and Industry, then by the Rhône and the Seine rivers. It is supported by four caryatids arranged around the large clock, symbolizing the Hours of the day. They are in the style of the statues in the Clock Pavilion.
But inside the building, it is above all the double-helix staircase that has made the Hôtel des Italiens famous. It is inspired by the staircase at the Château de Chambord, and indeed shares the same objective: to allow two groups of people to use the same staircase without encountering each other. One flight with a double balustrade was used by management, and the other (with a single balustrade) by employees.
A bit of history I like tell us that the Crédit Lyonnais headquarters was built between 1878 and 1883. From 1883 to 2010, the Crédit Lyonnais headquarters was located on the site of the Hôtel de Boufflers, on which the Galerie de Fer (Iron Gallery) had been built, leading from the boulevard to the Rue de Choiseul. The passageway, destroyed by fire in 1828, was rebuilt the following year in iron. It was there that the first gas lighting experiments were conducted. A 1,590 m² plot of land was purchased in Paris. Henri Germain (a French banker and politician, founder of Crédit Lyonnais) then had the Hôtel de Boufflers-Rouvenel demolished to make way for the future headquarters of Crédit Lyonnais. March 21, 1878: inauguration in the presence of Léon Gambetta, then head of the Budget Committee of the National Assembly. The Crédit Lyonnais bank founded in 1863 in Lyon. It was acquired by Crédit Agricole in 2003.It is now under the LCL banner since 2005, still in operation, In 2010, the bank relocated from this historic building to Villejuif, Val-de-Marne dept 94 near the Villejuif Léo-Lagrange station of metro line 7 of the Paris metro network,
The Paris tourist office on Paris Centre (arrond 1-4) de Paris : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/explore-the-centre-of-paris-a846
The Paris tourist office on walks along the Grands Boulevards (see no 3 bd des Italiens :credit lyonnais) : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/glamorous-paris%20-a898
There you go folks, a dandy city to explore and enjoy with the family, Memorable moments in my eternal Paris, driving and walking all over in my road warrior trails brings out sublime awesome spots with nice buildings full of architecture and history of yesteryear ,and always looking forward to be back, eventually. The text is taken mostly from Wikipedia, Again hope you enjoy the post on the building of the former Crédit Lyonnais in Paris !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 