History of a romantic restaurant in Paris

Tradition and Modernity. Two extremes, both contradictory and intricately intertwined in the history of Maison Blanche.

First, the Théâtre des Champs Elysées opened its doors to an uproar of controversy: largely disputed over by the more conservative thinkers while fully endorsed by the turn-of-the-century avant-garde movement. In the eye of the storm: architect Auguste Perret. Infamous for his revolutionary axonometric structures, he was the first one ever to dare the extensive use of concrete as the sole construction material for the theater, while providing the "most modern shrine to philharmonics" with an innovative and unparalleled acoustic.

A few centuries later, the same conflict resurfaced with the construction of a restaurant on the scandalous theater's rooftop terraces. This project had already been detailed in the 1913 plans, with an area fully dedicated to gastronomy.

However, the owner, the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, had to wait until 1991 to materialise the project. Espace, Brigit de Kosmi's agency, came up with the idea of building the Maison Blanche as a suspended bridge over the initial edifice. Indeed, the Théâtre des Champs Elysées could not sustain any added weight on its rooftops.