36, quai des Orfèvres

The building at 36 Quai des Orfèvres rises on the left bank of the Seine with a neoclassical facade from the 19th century. The construction follows the forms of public administrative architecture of that period with tall windows, strict lines, and a plain entrance area made of light stone.

The structure emerged during the 19th century and became the seat of the Paris criminal police. Over several decades, officers here directed investigations in serious cases and shaped the organization of French law enforcement.

The address appears regularly in French detective novels and served as the setting for numerous films about investigators in Paris. Visitors often recognize the building from the Inspector Maigret stories, which take place here and turned the site into a symbol of French detective work.

The location sits in the first arrondissement near the Île de la Cité and is easily reached via footpaths along the Seine. Visitors should note that it is an active police building and access is therefore only possible from the outside.

Two architects worked on the building one after the other and each brought their own stylistic elements to the facade. This combination of different approaches gives the construction a mix of strict and softer forms that becomes visible when examining the ornaments and window frames closely.