Petition against new French National Assembly pavilion nears 80,000 signatures

A petition against the architectural project for a new entrance pavilion at the French National Assembly has rapidly gained momentum, surpassing 77,000 signatures. Launched five months ago by the heritage preservation group Sites & Monuments, the petition strongly opposes the planned 4,000-square-meter glass structure, which is set to be built adjacent to the Assembly's renowned colonnade. The association argues that the modern design, intended to echo the building's existing stone columns, would be visually discordant with the historic edifice and its surroundings. They contend that the new pavilion would disrupt the "purity, minerality, symmetry, and balance" of the current architectural composition, which offers a perspective that "nothing tarnishes." The project's estimated cost of 52.8 million euros, to be funded from the Assembly's reserves, has also drawn significant criticism. Sites & Monuments labels this as a "sumptuous expense" and "incomprehensible," particularly at a time when the state is expected to exercise fiscal restraint. The association further asserts that the project violates urban planning rules for the 7th arrondissement's remarkable heritage site, citing concerns about its height and encroachment on protected green space. Additionally, they argue it degrades the harmonious stratification of the Seine River banks, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and disregards the negative opinion of the Commission du Vieux Paris, which reportedly unanimously opposed the demolition of the current reception pavilion. The debate over the new pavilion, championed by National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet, has been ongoing since the early 2000s, stemming from perceived issues with narrow corridors.

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It would be inadmissible to damage this composition characterized by its purity, its minerality, its symmetry, and its balance, with a perfect correspondence of the colonnades of the National Assembly and the Madeleine church. This emblematic architectural ensemble today offers a perspective that nothing tarnishes.