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The Conservatoire national d’art dramatique finally classified as a historic monumentorique !

All the versions of this article: English , français

Roselyne Bachelot told us she had a favourable view of it. Rima Abdul-Malak promised us. But it was Rachida Dati who actually kept that commitment: the Conservatoire national d’art dramatique (formerly the Conservatoire de musique) has finally been classified as a historic monument, and what’s more in its entirety, including its Art Deco staircases (ill. 1). Sadly, we may be losing some heritage battles, but this is one of the ones we’ve won.


1. An Art Deco staircase at the Conservatoire national d’art dramatique,
classified as a historic monument in 2024
Photo: Didier Rykner
See the image in its page

Let’s recall what it was about: in September 2018, we published a first article to denounce the threats to this monument. While the theatre (ill. 2), built in 1811 and remodelled in the 19th century, had been classified since 1921, and rightly so, the rest of the building (ill. 3 and 4), which is just as important both historically and artistically (see also here), was not protected. And the whole complex was threatened with sale by the Ministry of Culture because of the planned regrouping in the Cité du théâtre to be built in the Batignolles district.


2. The theatre of the Conservatoire national d’art dramatique,
classified as a historic monument in 1921
Photo: Didier Rykner
See the image in its page

Although the DRAC Île-de-France had considered the possibility of registering the building as a historic monument in 2011, this did not come to fruition. However, inscription was finally obtained in 2019 when it was submitted to the Regional Commission for Heritage and Architecture, largely thanks to our articles. But the reluctance of the Ministry of Culture to support the classification was a little too obvious (see the news item of 4/7/19): it was in fact the representative of the DRAC who voted against the wish for classification! He feared that it would reduce the sale price, which is paradoxical for an authority in…

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