Metz
Built in 1878 according to the plans drawn up by German architect Johann Eduard Jacobsthal, the Metz railway station was abandoned some thirty years later and transformed into an office building. A new chapter was opened for this structure in 2008, when the decision was made to locate a statistics centre in Metz that would employ some 400 people as part of France’s policy to decentralise national government services.
In addition to developing the office spaces, our project included a significant heritage component: the renovation of the façades and the interiors. In-depth documentary research in the building archives provided information on the original state and subsequent evolutions of the built structure.
Due to the significant transformations made over time, it was no longer possible to return to Jacobsthal’s original design; nevertheless, the renovation sought to re-establish a composition that remained legible and harmonious in its exteriors, to highlight what remained of its heritage, and to propose functional interior spaces for the INSEE staff.
The traces of painted decorations have been restored and showcased as if they were independent displays.