Town hall of Stains, Municipal building in Stains, France

The Hôtel de ville de Stains occupies the former stables of the Château de Stains on Avenue Paul-Vaillant-Couturier. Its perfectly symmetrical plan forms a horseshoe, with a neoclassical projecting central section behind a glazed gallery added during the conversion. The side facades are arranged in four arcades, separated by a door topped with an oculus, and a monumental iron gate closes the courtyard.

After the 1870 war, only the stables of the Château de Stains remained; the municipality bought them in 1883 to house the town hall. The Parisian architect Villebesseys, a pupil of Hector-Martin Lefuel, led the conversion. Further works followed in 1911, and the building was inscribed as a monument historique on 19 October 1928.

The building keeps the name and role of a town hall, but its core is the former stables of the Château de Stains, acquired by the municipality in 1883. The monumental gate closing the horseshoe courtyard and the glass gallery added during the conversion are the elements a visitor can still pick out from Avenue Paul-Vaillant-Couturier.

The building is centrally located in Stains and easily accessible by foot or public transport from the surrounding neighborhoods. The distinctive arcades and main entrance are clearly visible from the street level.

The building is a former château stable block: after the 1870 war only the stables of the château de Stains survived, and the town bought them in 1883. A 1919 survey found major cracking from structural thrust, expansive salts and faulty foundations. The whole building was listed as a monument historique on 19 October 1928.