Ever wondered where Parisians bought fresh food centuries ago? This is Les Halles. It was once Paris’s central fresh food market. Today, it’s a modern shopping mall and transit hub. But its history is rich and complex.
Les Halles started as a market in the 11th century. It was near a cemetery in an area called the Little Fields. This market mainly sold dry goods and offered money changing services. Over time, food stalls popped up. By the 15th century, Les Halles food prices impacted the entire city.
Control of the market shifted. A bishop briefly had control. Then Louis VI shared control in 1137. In 1183, Philip Augustus took full control. He built two market halls to protect textiles. He also built walls around the market. The market grew. It became the city’s largest. It transformed from the edge of the city to its center.
Over the centuries, Les Halles faced ups and downs. It was rebuilt several times. More halls were built for food. Still, dry goods remained central to the cramped space.
In the 16th century, the church of Saint-Eustache was built near Les Halles. Later, Nicolas Le Camus de Mézières designed the Halle aux Blés. This Corn Exchange was built between 1763 and 1769. It had a circular central court. It was later covered with a dome. In 1889, it became the Bourse de Commerce.
Victor Baltard designed a famous glass and iron structure in the 1850s. This became the face of Les Halles for over a century. It became one of the sights of Paris. The remodeled market became known as the “Belly of Paris”. Émile Zola used this term in his 1873 novel Le Ventre de Paris. The novel is set in the bustling 19th-century marketplace.
But times changed. Les Halles struggled to compete in the new market economy. It needed major repairs. In 1973, the colorful atmosphere faded. Les Halles was demolished. The fruit, flower, and vegetable markets had moved in 1969. Only the butchers remained. The wholesale market moved to Rungis.
Two of the glass and cast iron pavilions were saved. One was moved to Nogent-sur-Marne. The other went to Yokohama, Japan. The rest were destroyed.
The site became the Châtelet-Les Halles station. This is the convergence point of the RER. It is a new network of express underground railway lines. For years, the market site was a huge pit. It was called le trou des Halles. It was an eyesore near the historic church of Saint-Eustache. The new railway hub was completed in 1977.
The Forum des Halles opened in 1979. It is a partially underground commercial center. Claude Vasconi and Georges Pencreac’h designed it. A public garden opened in 1986. Many surrounding streets became pedestrian zones.
The demolition of Baltard’s structure was controversial. Critic Oliver Wainwright called it “one of the worst acts of urban vandalism of the century”. He said the area became a “national embarrassment”. Historian Donato Severo called it “the most violent act ever committed against the heritage of Paris”.
In 2002, Paris announced public consultations to remodel the area. Mayor Bertrand Delanoë called Les Halles “a soulless, architecturally bombastic concrete jungle”. A design competition was held. Patrick Berger and Jacques Anziutti’s design was selected in 2007. It featured a large glass canopy.
Construction began in 2010. The canopy over the Forum was inaugurated in April 2016. Construction finished in 2018. Today, Les Halles is a modern space. It connects to the Châtelet-Les Halles station. The station serves millions of passengers each year. Les Halles has been transformed. It has gone from a bustling market to a controversial pit to a modern shopping center. It continues to evolve.