The emblematic post office building near the Louvre is to be redeveloped

La Poste du Louvre, the post office on the rue du Louvre, is to be redeveloped to include a luxury hotel. Not only is the post office the largest in France, but it also stays open almost 24 hours every day – useful for those who have waited until the last minute to file their income tax return.

La Poste (the French mail service) has launched a major renovation of this iconic 32,000m² building, which is situated in the 1^st arrondissement (district) in the heart of Paris. The Louvre Museum is at the other end of the street.

The building has been a post office for more than 250 years. A private mansion, the Hôtel d’Armenonville was bought for this purpose on behalf of King Louis XV in 1757. It was then completely demolished in the 19^th century and replaced by the imposing present structure.

Part of it will remain a post office, open day and night, with an average of 3,000 customers per day. In addition, the building will house a police station, offices, shops, apartments and a luxury hotel. The interior courtyard will be turned into a green space and surrounded by shops and a restaurant.

The hotel will occupy a total of 6,000m² on the two upper floors of the building. It will be comprised of 80 rooms, a restaurant and a terrace with superb views over the Paris skyline.

Elegancia Hotels, which already has a dozen hotels in Paris, won the contract to manage the hotel. Novaxia will carry out the construction work.

Dominique Perrault is the architect for the whole project. He designed the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (French National Library) in the 13^th arrondissement, in the shape of four open books.

The redevelopment is scheduled for completion in 2018 at a budgeted cost of €80 million.

© Dominique Perrault Architecture