It’s the hidden gem of line 10: Vaneau station, whose Art Deco entrance, integrated into a building, surprises with its geometric elegance. A discreet but captivating testimony to the 1920s, a stone’s throw from the Fontaine du Fellah.
Imagine walking quietly along rue de Sèvres, and suddenly coming upon a subway entrance that looks more like the discreet entrance to an Art Deco building than an ordinary kiosk… it’s the Vaneaustation !
This unique entrance, located at 42 bis rue de Sèvres, is housed directly in a building, harmoniously aligned with the surrounding façade. The aedicula dates from 1923, a pivotal period between Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Lacking space on the sidewalk, it was built on a plot of the former Laënnec hospital, cleverly fitting into the dense urban fabric.
The entrance is marked by two illuminated signs, each topped by a white globe, signalling “Métro” on one side, “Station Vaneau” on the other. Blue monochrome tiles contrast elegantly with the white façade, while the “Métropolitain” lettering adopts a very Art Deco geometric typography. This style is characterized by sobriety, linear forms and the absence of the plant arabesques typical ofArt Nouveau, which are the work of Hector Guimard.
Did you know? This is the last of Hector Guimard’s original Type B metro station aediculae.
Did you know? Hector Guimard’s last surviving type B kiosk, nicknamed La Libellule, is located at Porte Dauphine station in Paris. This exceptional Parisian metro entrance is one of the last original vestiges, and we tell you all about it. [Read more]
The entrance is said to represent a subtle blend of the Val d’Osne (1920s) and Dervaux (1930s) styles, the latter being firmly rooted in the rise of Art Deco. However, this interpretation is more of a contemporary stylistic reading than a known formal attribution.
Inaugurated on December 30, 1923, at the same time as the initial section of line 10, Vaneau station has remained singular in the Paris network. Situated astride the 6ᵉ and 7ᵉ arrondissements, it remains little used, but it’s perhaps this ambient calm that makes it all the more charming.
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