“A symbol of contempt for the common good”: Clichy’s Maison du Peuple continues to spawn disputes

Image: Maison du Peuple in Clichy. Credit: Rai Santana

PARIS, France — Walking past the Maison du Peuple (MdP) in Clichy, anyone could be forgiven for overlooking its historical relevance. The two-storey structure made of glass, concrete and steel was once considered an ‘architectual jewel’ and a sign of French modernity in the 20th century. 

Now, the historical building resembles an abandoned renovation site. All four of its main entrances have been plastered with large construction-permit signs. Through the glass doors, small piles of debris can be seen scattered through the floor. But there is no sign of workers or machinery in the premises. 

After being sold by the local government to a private group, plans to repurpose the building have come to a halt due to a dispute between the new owners and two non-for-profit associations. The latter oppose the privatisation and renovation project, mainly for fears that the landmark will have its history erased.   

"Maison du Peuple is a national monument protected under the highest level of heritage and we will only support a restoration that preserves the building’s qualities, character and integrity”, says Richard Klein, professor of architecture and president of Docomomo France, an association created to document and preserve modern architectural sites in the country.

Built like a giant lego piece with pre-fabricated and movable parts, MdP was the first of its kind in France. In its heyday, the top-floor of the building was used as a cinema and a space for functions and conferences. The rear part served as office space. Most of it has been abandoned for the past thirty years. 

The ground-floor was the only segment still in use. It was home to a local market, Marché de Lorraine, that continued to function 2 to 3 times a week until it closed down last February. 

After decades of neglect and deterioration, MdP was sold by the local government to Ducasse Paris (a high-end catering brand) and Apsys (a real estate development group). The project proposed by the partners intends to house Ducasse’s headquarters with areas dedicate to food production, culinary classes, shops and catering space.

"Our project is carried out in strict compliance with requirements for listed buildings and we’re in dialogue with local associations to reassure them",  explains Véronique Lartigue, president of the catering group. 

Attempts to preserve the building’s history is only one side of the dispute. Opponents of the project are also fighting against gentrification in the area which has included the privatisation of public spaces and monuments. Some residents point the finger at Rémi Muzeau, a right-wing mayor who was first elected in 2015, ending a century of socialist governance in Clichy. “The Maison du Peuple’s fate sums up so perfectly the political involution of recent years and the contempt for the common good, which the building used to be a symbol of”, says Laurance Macé,  president of the local association Quartier Maison du Peuple.

The finances around the project are yet another side of the dispute. Both opposing associations believe that the 2 million euros paid for the property is too low when taking into account its historical value. Adding to the controversy is the fact that the new owners are entitled to a government grant close to 8 million euros, for renovating a heritage building. 

The funds from MdP’s sale were used to construct Villeneuve Marché, less than 600 meters from the disputed landmark. The new outdoor market was promised by the local government as a replacement to the previous space at MdP. 

To celebrate the opening, the city council hired a jazz band, invited local artists to entertain the children, and built a temporary games area, making the new food market feel more like a funfair. 

For some of the merchants, the government’s decision to sell MdP and relocate the market was overdue. 

“I think it was a good thing because MdP was too old. It’s a historical building and if the new owners are going to restore it, that’s not a bad idea”, says Pierre Koneusz, whose family sold fresh fruits and vegetables at MdP for over five years. 

He adds that the location of the new market, between a public parc and a sports field, has been attracting more clients than the previous space. But only 30 percent of the previous merchants relocated to Villeneuve. And not everybody is fully convinced that the initial hype will last.

“We have everything we need here. The local government has done a good job. But are people really going to come to an outdoor market when it’s raining and cold?” —  says Marie Saussereau, who runs a butcher stand.

MdP was originally built in the 30’s by Clichy’s then-mayor, Charles Auffray. The main purpose of the project was to house local merchants who used to work from an open field, in the exact same location where the historical building now stands.

Saussereau is also disappointed with the waiting period. She used to work with her husband at MdP until it closed down. The couple had to wait seven months while the new marketplace was being build. When asked if the government offered the merchants any financial aid, she shrugs in a disapproval tone. 

This is not the first renovation proposal at MdP to face public scrutiny. In 2018, the group Ricciotti-Duval attempted to construct a skyscraper on the rear-end of the building while preserving the original structure. The group claimed that adding a block of apartments to the site was the only way to compensate for the high costs with renovation and future maintenance. 

"Public property is increasingly synonymous with ruin since the State no longer has a penny", said Jacques Moulin, the architect in charge of the previous renovation proposal. 

This argument might be the core of the controversy surrounding MdP and its destiny. A ‘symptom’ of a much greater dispute, that between right and left-wing political idelogies. On one side, those who look into the future and measure progress through privatisation and development. On the other side, those who still see value in our past history and believe in the common good.