Prefecture hotel of Yvelines, Government building in Versailles, France.
The Prefecture Hotel of Yvelines stands on Avenue de Paris as a three-story freestone building with classical proportions and clear geometric form. Sculptural elements by Georges Clère adorn the triangular pediment and enhance the formal character of the structure.
Construction took place from 1863 to 1866 on the site of a former royal hunting kennel. During the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the building housed the Prussian General Staff.
The building displays French administrative architecture from the 1800s through its balanced proportions and classical details. The stone facade with its triangular pediment and sculptural ornaments shapes the appearance of Avenue de Paris.
The building is visible from Avenue de Paris and offers good photo views from street level. Since it functions as an active government center, interior tours are not available, but the architectural details are clearly visible from outside.
Presidents Thiers and MacMahon temporarily lived in this building while conducting government meetings before the administration moved to Paris in 1879. This brief period made it an unusual seat of executive power outside the capital.
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