Usine pharmaceutique du Docteur Pierre, Pharmaceutical factory in Nanterre, France

The Usine pharmaceutique du Docteur Pierre is a long industrial building of red brick, stone and ceramic, built in 1900 by the Nanterre architect Albert Aubert. A central projecting section carries a dome topped by a lantern, flanked by two side blocks extended by return wings on the courtyard side. The facade, with cornices and cabochon ornaments, faces the Paris-Saint-Lazare to Saint-Germain-en-Laye railway line.

Doctor Pierre Mussot founded a mint-alcohol distillery at Asnières-sur-Seine in 1837; after his death in 1860 his niece Pauline and her husband Charles Alexandre Hubert Chouët formed A. Chouët et Cie and established the Docteur Pierre brand. Growth pushed the firm to Nanterre, chosen for its proximity to the Nanterre-Ville station, and the present building was erected there in 1900 by the Nanterre architect Albert Aubert. In 1923 the Dentifrices du Docteur Pierre Mussot absorbed Forvil, which occupied the site until 1940.

The brand name comes from Doctor Pierre Mussot, who founded the mint-alcohol distillery in 1837; his niece Pauline and her husband Charles Alexandre Hubert Chouët later established the A. Chouët et Cie company that made the Doctor Pierre brand known. Today the renovated building hosts the restaurant Docteur Pierre, named in honour of the founder, and the fair-trade association Max Havelaar.

The building stands along the Paris-Saint-Lazare to Saint-Germain-en-Laye railway line, oriented so its main facade faces the tracks. It now holds offices, a shared foodlab, the Docteur Pierre restaurant and an events space, so the exterior is what a passer-by can see. The 1,000 m² permaculture garden lies on the former mint plots.

The 1,000 m² permaculture garden occupies ground where peppermint was once grown for the factory. After the 2017 renovation by ETIC, the site became a third place for social and solidarity economy organisations, mostly in responsible food, such as the fair-trade association Max Havelaar. The shared foodlab United Kitchens opened the restaurant Docteur Pierre there, named after the founder.