Les Halles Food Market

Decongesting and simplifying the access to the food market Les Halles at a time when the population was increasing, as well as road and railway traffic were crucial elements in the plans for the new Paris in the mid-19th century. The market needed to be easily accessible from both within Paris and from the newly built train stations that were essential parts of Baron Haussmann’s urban planning. Opening up the roads to the market coincided with a complete facelift for the buildings that housed it.
The first pavilion of the new market by architects Victor Baltard and Félix Calle was inaugurated in 1853. The former stone building here on place des Innocents was demolished in favour of a construction made of iron, zinc and glass along the English model. Baron Haussmann is famously said to have demanded “Iron, iron, nothing but iron!” of Baltard in his plans. In total 10 pavilions were erected between 1853 and 1870, each devoted to a different category of produce. The activity at Les Halles also attracted other food shops to the area.
Nothing can be seen today of Baltard’s pavilions which were dismantled in 1971 when the market was moved to Rungis. Just two of the pavilions were saved from destruction: one is now in the Paris suburb of Nogent sur Marne and the other in Yokohama, Japan. In the years since then the area has seen a huge amount of excavation and building work. In 1977, work was completed on the busiest underground railway hub in the city: Châtelet-Les Halles, servicing 750,000 passengers every day. The Forum des Halles shopping centre was completed in 1979 and a public garden behind it in 1986. After criticism of this area by former mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë, a new rehabilitation project was launched and the area around Les Halles is set for yet another facelift.

Photo credit: Par dalbera from Paris, France (La pavillon Baltard Uploaded by russavia) [CC-BY-2.0 (creativecommons.org)], via Wikimedia Commons