La Convention site

The former Parisian site of the Imprimerie Nationale

The building on Rue de la Convention was designed by Alphonse Didelot in 1904 to house the Imprimerie Nationale (National Print), replacing a building on Rue Vieille-du-Temple. Typical of the industrial edifices of the time, it was built of bricks with steel structural features such as girders, struts and lintels. The metal framework was produced by the Moisant-Laurent-Saveys workshops, as was that of the Grand Palais.

The statue of Gutenberg in front of the building, and some of the bas-reliefs on its pedestal, were made by David d’Angers. It was inaugurated in situ in 1851.

The Foreign Ministry bought the La Convention building and its two “pavilions” in 2007 and they were inaugurated in 2009, following refurbishment.