Tag Archives: grands boulevards

[caption id="attachment_235" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Photo by Walter Watzpatzkowski"][/caption]

I’m absolutely fascinated by this building, although I’ve never actually been inside.  I love its art deco feel and the way it stands out in the skyline, recalling an era as equally classic Paris as it is far removed from the Louvre nearby.  But more than that, I’m moved by the terrible sadness of it.  Up-close, it’s a crumbling mess.  Boarded-up and rusting, the only thing moving in and around it is the occasional rat.  Despite its role in the city’s history and amazing details like iron work by Gustav Eiffel, it was closed in 2005 for safety concerns — essentially condemned.  Yet there it stands on the right bank side of Pont Neuf, resolutely asserting its relevance in the Paris Seine-scape. Continue reading →