<translation>Town Hall in Boulogne-Billancourt</translation>

The town hall in Boulogne-Billancourt is the last realization by Lyon architect Tony Garnier. It is one of the few projects he undertook after World War I. Although it is a building by a mature creator, who had already completed significant urban ensembles as the chief architect of the city of Lyon, he struggled for a long time with uncertainty about how the town hall of a working-class city should look in order to shed its official appearance and free itself from the standards imposed on public buildings. In earlier versions, he considered a town hall tower or a ceremonial colonnade, until he arrived at a simple block without unnecessary embellishments. Ultimately, it is a work of two architects, which is evident both outside and inside. Although both parts are connected by a roof cornice, the front designed by Garnier has a more classical appearance, while the back designed by Debat-Ponsan has an industrial character. The front part, with symmetrically placed entrance stairs and foyer, serves a representative function and contains social halls. The austere stone-clad façade without unnecessary details does not suggest the richness of the interior decoration. The rear reinforced concrete structure embodies pure functionalism. It was meant to be literally a “factory for municipal administration” (65 m long, 28 m wide, 22 m high), consisting of a four-story hall with skylights. Around the balconies, individual offices and clerical counters are arranged. It is worth noting that architect Jacques Debat-Ponsan, the author of the rear part of the town hall, was also the mayor's brother-in-law.