Gare Lisch

Designed by the architect Juste Lisch, who was also active within the Historical Monuments Department, it was originally built in Paris as the Champ-de-Mars terminal, intended to serve the 1878 Universal Exhibition on the line granted to the Western Railway Company. Its structure, blending puddled iron, brick, and large glass canopies, brilliantly illustrates the spirit of modernity and innovation that defined the industrial era. On the eve of the 1900 Universal Exhibition, the Western Railway Company obtained permission to extend the line to the Esplanade des Invalides, where a new station was to be built. As early as 1894, trains therefore stopped serving the Champ-de-Mars station. But in June 1897, a rare and violent cyclone struck Asnières, destroying the Western Company’s workshops. The idea of reusing the old Champ-de-Mars station then took shape. The Parisian building was dismantled piece by piece, transported to Asnières, and reassembled on its current site — a technical feat ahead of its time. The Lisch station subsequently housed workshops and storage areas, then, for a period, passenger services, before being converted into a depot and ultimately abandoned. Today, it still stands, isolated at the heart of a dense railway and urban fabric. A rare survivor among reused exhibition architectures, the Lisch station remains distinguished by the singular episode of the cyclone that paradoxically ensured its preservation and relocation. Thanks to its listing as a Historical Monument in 1985, the station was permanently saved from demolition. This recognition safeguards its distinctive architecture, characteristic of late nineteenth-century stations: a metallic structure of puddled iron, typical of the period, combined with colorful brick masonry whose contrast and rhythm endowed the building with an industrial elegance. The central glass roof, glazed façades, and generous volumes placed the station within the great tradition of railway halls, conceived both as technical achievements and as symbols of modernity.

The planned interventions prioritize the reduction of energy loss through the restoration of the glass roofs and joinery with high-performance glazing, while preserving the delicacy of the original structures. Bio-based, geo-sourced, and reused materials will be favored, particularly for the floors and outdoor landscaping. The project also includes extensive greening of the plot – deciduous trees, local plants, and a reflecting pool – to mitigate the urban heat island effect and create a true oasis of coolness in the heart of Asnières. Finally, specific work is being carried out on decontamination and the building’s health: removal of asbestos and lead, treatment of dry rot, and soil decontamination. All these measures reflect a commitment to combining heritage restoration with ecological transition.

It is part of a metropolitan dynamic, as the future Line 15 of the Grand Paris Express will serve the nearby Bois-Colombes station by 2029. This new mobility asset will enhance the site’s accessibility and make it one of the major landmarks of Greater Paris, at the crossroads of heritage and urban innovation. By restoring the Lisch station, the City is not merely saving a nineteenth-century witness; it is writing a new chapter in its history, where memory and modernity come together to create a unique place capable of connecting past, present, and future.