An architectural heritage digitized: historic plans of 2 and 4 rue de Lille available on France Archives
In 2019, a series of historic plans relating to 2 and 4 rue de Lille were donated to the Archives nationales. These archives, dated between 1886 and 1965, contain plans and sketches on paper, tracing paper, cyanotype or coated canvas, by successive architects at the École des Langues Orientales since it moved to rue de Lille in 1873.
The largest part of this collection is also the oldest. It bears witness to the major building renovation work carried out at the end of the 19th century. Based on these plans, architect Louis Faure-Dujarric (1828-1904) largely rebuilt 2 rue de Lille and defined the resolutely orientalist line of the building's decor, including the construction of the grand grand staircase.
The architect who succeeded him in the early 20th century, Benjamin Chaussemiche (1864-1945), did not leave as many plans. Noteworthy are sketches dated 1908 for the project to decorate the salon d'honneur, with reproductions of sketches of the decorative panel by painter Louis-Édouard Fournier (1857-1917), which was never delivered.
Finally, plans by Paul Barrias (1875-1973) are devoted to the last major works that took place at n°2 in the 1930s with the reconstruction of the west wing. The fonds also includes documents relating to the installation of the École at n°4.
These documents, kept in the basements of the Maison de la recherche (Paris 7th), then temporarily in a room in the Pôle des langues et civilisation (Paris 13th), were inventoried, classified and described, in 2019, by an intern archivist, Isis Arteau, under the direction of the Inalco archivist, Isabelle Lakomy. In poor condition when they arrived at the National Archives, they were extensively restored and then digitized to ensure they could be consulted while guaranteeing their preservation.
More than 300 historical documents can now be consulted in digitized format on the France Archives portal.
Article proposed by Sarah Cadorel, Head of the Service de l'Information scientifique, des archives et du patrimoine and Open Science Referent