Gems of architecture can often be found tucked away. This is certainly true of the Hôtel Le Brun. This hôtel particulier is located at 47 rue du Cardinal-Lemoine in Paris. It is in the 5th arrondissement.
Let’s delve into the history of Hôtel Le Brun. In 1651, the painter Charles Le Brun acquired vast land. Some of it was already built upon. It was situated on a small hill. This hill was on the northeast side of Montagne Sainte-Geneviève. At the time, it was outside the city. It was just behind the Philippe Auguste wall near the Saint-Victor gate. Charles Le Brun died in 1690. His widow passed away in 1699.
Charles II Le Brun inherited the property. He was an auditor at the Court of Accounts. He was also the nephew and legatee of the couple. Charles II decided to build a hôtel. He commissioned Germain Boffrand. At that time, Boffrand was a relatively unknown architect. Nicolas Saint-Denis was the master mason. He executed the plans in 1700 and 1701. Charles II lived there and rented apartments. Antoine Watteau was a tenant from 1718 to 1719. The engraver Edme Jeaurat lived there between 1720 and 1726. The commissioner of the hôtel died in 1727.
Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon lived here in 1766. He was the superintendent of the Jardin royal des plantes médicinales. This is now the Jardin des Plantes. Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun moved here in 1805. The d’Haudicourt family owned the building in the 19th century. They operated the Hôtel La Pension. A wing connected the main building to the street-side building on the southwest side.
In 1912, the city of Paris acquired the hôtel. The plan was to establish a school there. In 1923, it became the headquarters of the Office des logements sociaux de Paris. This occurred when the city reformed its social housing policy. During the 20th century, the city restructured the area. It also increased the density of the plot. First, they demolished small old buildings. These buildings isolated the hôtel from the street. Then, they constructed the south building in the 1930s. Finally, they built the north building in the 1960s. The Hôtel Le Brun was classified as a historical monument in 1955. In the 1990s, a restoration campaign added a neo-Louis XV gate. The building housed the management of OPAC de Paris until 2008.
In 2009, the press group De Particulier à Particulier acquired the hôtel. The estimated amount was 35.5 million euros. Transformation work into rental spaces occurred in the mid-2010s.
Since 2024, the company Polaris has operated here. Polaris specializes in the production of events and shows. It is now called “Le Grand Hôtel des Rêves”. It produces immersive shows here. Examples are “La Belle et la Bête” and “La Véritable Histoire du Père Noël.”
In the 18th century, hôtels were usually built on long narrow plots. They were often adjoined on two sides. Boffrand had a large plot. This allowed him to erect four facades. This was rare in Paris at the time. Also, no wing connected the main building to a gate or street-side buildings. This freed the courtyard from its usual enclosure. The courtyard and garden facades are relatively plain. Only a pediment on each side adds a monumental character. The sculptor Anselm Flamen created these. The pediment facing the garden features a medallion. It depicts the painter Charles Le Brun. He is presented to Minerva between allegories of Painting and Sculpture. Two unicorns frame the coat of arms of Charles II Le Brun on the courtyard side. Cafin created the wrought iron banister of the grand staircase.
So, as you stand before the Hôtel Le Brun, consider its storied past. From private residence to event space, it has witnessed centuries of Parisian life. It is truly an architectural gem.