Hôtel de Ville, Issy-les-Moulineaux

The Hôtel de Ville of Issy-les-Moulineaux stands out for its elegant ashlar stone facade, which hides a history far longer than its municipal role suggests. Originally built in the eighteenth century as a private country residence for the wealthy financier Nicolas Beaujon, the building was designed by the architect Étienne-Louis Boullée. By eighteen thirty-seven, the estate had been acquired by the Dames of Saint-Augustin, who transformed the site into the Notre-Dame des Oiseaux convent. The town finally purchased the property in eighteen ninety-two for one hundred eighty-five thousand gold francs, and it was inaugurated as the city hall three years later.