Lycée Jean Jaurès

Here, among the streets of Montreuil, stands the Lycée Jean Jaurès, a testament to the enduring legacy of education and ambition. It wasn’t always this impressive structure, though. Before the building’s grand design, the Lycée Jean Jaurès was an annex of the Lycée Voltaire in Paris’s 11th arrondissement. Imagine a stark need for more school space in the burgeoning eastern suburbs of Paris during the 1950s. The first sixth-grade classroom opened in Montreuil in 1956, followed by fifth and fourth grades a year later. Classes were held in old buildings on the grounds of the future Lycée Jean Jaurès; a perfect location, readily accessible by public transit, and a vast space of 45,000 square meters. The Lycée Jean Jaurès began construction in 1960, but the building was not inaugurated until 1967 as the project extended over several years. The school was designed to accommodate 2,600 students, 1,300 girls, and 1,300 boys. The famous French architect, Jacques Carlu, the architect behind the iconic Palais de Chaillot, was commissioned to create this architectural marvel. Carlu, a laureate of the prestigious Grand Prix de Rome, poured his expertise into the Lycée Jean Jaurès, creating a masterpiece of modularity, geometric precision, and a touch of grandeur. The Lycée Jean Jaurès became a landmark in Montreuil, a testament to the burgeoning need for education in the post-war era. In 1977, the Lycée Jean Jaurès was divided into two distinct entities: a high school and a junior high school, making it a mixed-use educational complex. The school’s 1% artistic contribution, a majestic concrete sculpture by Réné Collamarini, welcomes visitors with its rounded forms. It stands as a symbol of free thought and the arts, a counterpoint to the building’s rectilinear structure. It’s a sight that has become part of the vibrant tapestry of Montreuil. The Lycée Jean Jaurès is a place teeming with youth, innovation, and a dedication to knowledge. It’s a place where students, past and present, have their stories interwoven into the fabric of this architectural masterpiece.