It is an architectural jewel of the 18th century, which could have gone up in smoke.
A violent fire, the origin of which is still unknown, broke out on New Year's Eve at the Hôtel de la Marine.
The iconic building which dominates the Place de la Concorde (VIIIth) mobilized for hours a hundred firefighters, who after having fought against the flames were still monitoring the place this Sunday evening.
Called Saturday, December 31, around 9 p.m., while a million people are preparing to wake up a few meters away, on the Champs-Élysées, the men of the fire are put in working order to control a fire which has just started register in a technical room, located on the fourth floor of the illustrious building, in a wing devoted to the administration, and which also houses coworking spaces.
The flames, huge, very high according to Lieutenant-Colonel Claire Boët, spokesperson for the Paris fire brigade (BSPP), quickly spread to the roof, destroying 30 square meters.
The technical room, meanwhile, was completely devastated.
In the fire that affected the Hôtel de la Marine, 30 square meters of roofing were swept away.
BSPP/Cyrille Nicolas
This Sunday, the Hôtel de la Marine indicated on its social networks that “the old parts of the building and the collections on display were not affected by the disaster.
“Adding that the monument would remain exceptionally closed until further notice.
The reopening schedule will be communicated as soon as possible.
This former Crown Furniture Storage, the ancestor of the Mobilier national, has only been open to the public since 2020 after three years of a titanic restoration project.
Visitors, who had not had access to them since 1789, can now discover the magnificent apartments and state rooms, through visits of 30 to 90 minutes.
The place also contains a vast exhibition gallery, which presents the masterpieces of the collection of the Qatari princely family Al Thani.
Pending the reopening of the premises, the management of the Hôtel de la Marine ensures that tickets purchased online will be automatically refunded.
People who have paid for them on site are invited to contact the museum (hoteldelamarine@monuments-nationaux.fr).
