La « cité des centaures » : l'architecture du quartier des Célestins par Jacques Hermant, 1890-1905

Abstract

The barracks built along the boulevard Henri IV in Paris, where the old monastery of the Celestins used to be, house the cavalry and infantry units of the Republican Guard since the 19th century. In 1879, the city of Paris and the government decided to build new accomodations for this armed force in order to modernize the construction and to increase the standing of the quarter. The architect Jacques Hermant won the competitive examination. He created an original plan using the angle of two avenues as a guiding principle. He conceived a real military city for the riders and their horses with a central course, an indoor ring, stables and also lodgings for families and bachelors upstairs. It includes a dispensary, veterinary premises, a blacksmith's shop, arms factories and repositories, and a music room. The barracks, made from 1890 to 1905, bespeak a rationalist approach: for each building the architect chose the appropriate place and structure according to the functions, movements and needs of men and horses. They indicate also the use of modern materials as iron for the ring and reinforced concret for the structure of the building whereas the whole design follows hygienist rules recommanded for collective buildings. It was the first important construction in Hermant's carreer.