Hôtel Chéret

This grand hôtel particulier, the Hôtel Chérêt, wasn’t always home to social housing. It began its life much grander. The Hôtel Chérêt, also known as Hôtel Benoît de Sainte-Paulle, stands before us as a testament to the ebb and flow of Parisian life. It was built between 1773 and 1778 on land once occupied by sprawling market gardens. Interestingly, the man who gave the Hôtel Chérêt its secondary name never actually lived here. Benoît de Sainte-Paulle was a speculator who, after commissioning the architect Samson-Nicolas Lenoir to design this grand residence, decided to cash in on its rising value before it was even completed. He sold the property, leaving a legacy of his name on a building he never called home. Despite this, the Hôtel Chérêt remains one of the finest examples of the era’s glorious architecture. Look closely at the impressive porte-cochère. While we can’t enter today, those bas-reliefs you see represent Abundance and Prudence, subtle reminders of the values held dear by the era’s elite. Over the years, the Hôtel Chérêt has changed hands many times. Each owner has left their mark on this grand old building. Today, it serves the city as social housing, a far cry from its lavish beginnings but a vital part of the city’s fabric nonetheless.