Palais d'Orléans, stade français
The Palais d'Orléans is a large multi-story urban building in the 14th arrondissement of Paris with a classical appearance. Its façade displays Italian Renaissance styling, featuring large windows and ornamental stonework that give it distinctive architectural character.
The building was constructed around 1875 by architect Henri-Joseph Lacarnoy as an aristocratic residence. Throughout the 20th century it served multiple purposes: from 1930 until World War II it housed a girls' school, and from 1948 to 1996 it functioned as headquarters for the labor union Force Ouvrière.
The building's name reflects its original role as a grand residence for nobility, though it later became a center for workers' movements. The façade with its large windows and ornamental stonework still conveys the elegance of an earlier era, even as the space has served different communities over time.
The building is located on Avenue du Maine and is easily found in the neighborhood. Since it is now private residential property, you can view and appreciate the exterior façade from the street without interior access.
On New Year's Eve in 1916, friends and artists including Picasso, Juan Gris, and Blaise Cendrars gathered there to honor poet Guillaume Apollinaire. Before the palace was built, the site served as a sheep market, showing how dramatically this location transformed over time.
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