Parisians have been rejecting “ugly” modern builings and giving their homes a fresh makeover in order to align with traditional buildings in the gorgeous French capital.
In a pretty suberp called Colombes, historical buildins from the 19th and 20th can be found on every corner. But now old factories and warehouses have since been turned into offices, shops, and luxury apartments.
Historians believe the town is fighting for its image via an architectural revival in recent years. One culture critic on social media posted images of how an “ugly corner” in the area was “refreshed” in 2020.
In the social media post, X, user @Culture_Crit, wrote: “It’s hard to believe this is the same place.”
The upload shows abefore and after image of a street corner in Paris that is now home to “elegant classicism” including “painted wooden shutters” and “ironwork railings”.
The city of Paris has notable examples of architecture from every period from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, it was the birthplace of the Gothic style and has important monuments of the French Renaissance, classical revival, and the art nouveau style.
Colombes is home to the Yves-du Manoir stadium which will host events for the 1924 Paris Olympics and remains the home of the Racing 92 Rugby Club.
Before it was a suburb of Paris, Colombes had its own chateau, occupied by historical figures, including Henrietta Maria, the widow of King Charles I.
Colombes is also home to the L’Avant Seine/Théâtre De Colombes which offers a range of shows from classic to contemporary. The season starts in May and is diverse enough to offer something for all tastes: Plays, opera, dance, cinema screenings, music of all descriptions, comedy and magic.
The population size of the town is 86,755 (2020) with over 50 percent of residents being between the ages of 18-64.
Travelling from Colombes to central Paris takes 30 minutes via train and is only 13km.
