LA MAISON INTERNATIONALE

Maison Internationale in Paris, the fourth of its kind around the world, was constructed in the 1930s, after the buildings known by the same name in New York (1924), Berkeley (1930) and Chicago (1932). After donating some of his fortune to restoring the Chateau de Fontainebleau and the Chateau de Versailles, American philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. turned his thoughts to the Cité Internationale and financed the construction of Maison Internationale there. The aim was to create a common area for all of the houses where students from different countries could come together and create a diverse community.

In 1933 the plans for Maison Internationale were entrusted to American architect Jean-Frederic Larson; he drew his inspiration from classical French architecture, particularly the Chateau de Fontainebleau and designed a building in a “neo-Louis XIII” style. The impressive structure, which opened its doors in 1936, measures 2200 sq.m. divided between two symmetrically constructed buildings around a central structure, its two wings enclosing a courtyard.

Over the years, Maison Internationale welcomed an ever more diverse student population. After 70 years of faithful service however, it was beginning to show its age. Since 1999 renovations have been done progressively to restore and modernise the buildings, a patio was even constructed on the south wing. The building and some of its rooms have been opened to the general public, thereby including the world outside of the university, as is fitting for a house that has always embodied an ideal of openness and exchange.